Birthday Present Time

I believe that hand-made gifts should be given for every possible occasion, including birthdays.

And I've been hard at work on a few upcoming gifts for some very special people.



Kids LOVE these superhero capes, I should know, all of my kids have begged me for them--including my 14 and 17 year-olds!





I created a very simple pattern for a cape out of poster board. After making a couple of measurements on my kids to get an approximate size, I folded the poster board in half and cut it out so it would be symmetrical on both sides. Then I cut out the fabric and embellished it with ribbon and felt pieces cut out using patterns printed off the internet.



The sky is the limit here. This is also the most fun part! Then I sewed velcro to each side of the cape, making sure they were on opposite sides so that they would velcro together once the entire thing was sewn together.




After embellishing, I pinned the right sides together and stitched around the entire cape leaving an 8 inch gap to turn.




I turned, ironed and stitched around the entire thing again.

The little girl that got this cape wore it throughout her entire party! That was the best compliment I could have ever gotten. Enjoy your cape little Super Girl!

If you have a special little someone that would like a special little cape, just let me know and I'll see what I can do for you!

CBYC Chipboard Album Class Instructions

Getting Ready:
1. Remove two Chipboard pages from package. One is the front and one is the back. The rest will not be used.
2. Fast Track are items that can be done to enhance the page after the basics have been completed, allowing everyone to catch up.
3. Save the paper! When punching and cutting strips, use the very edge of the paper so that the scraps can be used on other pages.
4. Do Not Stress Out--if your hand cut items are not perfect! It's the "free-hand" look we are going for here ;)
5. Which way is UP? Make sure you know which side is up when you are doing a double
sided page.
6. Make it Your Own! Feel free to flip the paper over to make your album unique.
7. Stay Organized! Take out only what you need for each page.

Page One: Holes on Left
1. Using chipboard cover, trace and punch holes in Hammond Dr. Pink (Pink and orange
donuts).
2. Glue 8 x 8 square of Hammond Dr. Pink (Pink and orange donuts) to chipboard page, orange side down.
Fast Track: Sand page edges, ink edges, doodle page.
3. Glue 8 x 1 1/4 inch strip of Turner Street (green numbers) one inch from bottom, number side down.
4. Heart butterfly: Trace chipboard hearts onto front of Turner Street (green numbers) paper, making sure to note which side will be glued especially if the hearts are not symmetrical. Cut inside the line. Glue to chipboard hearts.
5. Match the hearts by putting them exactly on top of each other and punch a small hole in the tip with Cropadile. Put a brad through the hole and open, and spread wings apart.
Fast Track: Sand edges, ink edges, doodle.
6. Cut two thin strips 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches of Kennedy blue green (blue w/ white dots and v's). Wrap one end of each strip around a pencil to curl for the antennae. Set butterfly aside.
7. Accordion fold pink strip 1 1/4 x 12 inches and attach ends with glue strip or dots. Flatten and then squeeze to make a tight center. Have a friend help glue the orange circle with hot glue gun. Repeat with orange 1/2 x 8 inch strip and pink circle. Glue dot the buttons to the circles.
8. Sketch or free-hand cut two large leaves and one small leaf
Fast Track: Hot dog fold the leaves to add dimension.
9. Cut a 3 inch piece of chipboard strip (from Scenic Route package) for large flower stem. Assemble flowers. Glue dot to page.
10. Glue "welcome spring" phrase to chipboard piece. Attach to page.
11. Attach butterfly and glue the edge of the antennae and hold down until glue dries.


Page Two: Holes on Right
A. Cut green paper 8 x 2 and set aside for p. 4.
1. Using chipboard cover, trace and punch holes in Hammond Dr. Pink (Pink and orange
donuts).
2. Glue 8 x 8 square of Hammond Dr. Pink (Pink and orange donuts) to chipboard page, orange side up.
Fast Track: Sand page edges, ink edges, doodle page.
3. Glue large flower, striped side down, to top right corner (do not cover hole).
4. Sketch or free-hand cut 5 almond-shaped leaves on Turner Street (green numbers) approx. 1 3/4 by3/4 inches.
Fast Track: Hotdog fold top half of leaves to add dimension (glue flat side to tree).
5. Sketch or free-hand cut a tree trunk with two branches on Kennedy blue green (blue w/ white dots and v's).Glue tree together.
6. Glue "Bloom and grow" phrase to "it's all about me" chipboard piece and matte off-center onto a 2 x 4 inch scrap of Buckley Stars Blue ( rain drops) paper. Glue over bottom of tree.
7. Cut out bird and adhere in tree or on sign.


Page 3: Holes on Left
1. Using chipboard cover, trace and punch holes in Hampton Belmont Circle (Pink and orange flowers).
2. Punch small hole with cropadile in center of chipboard circle piece. Attach brad and open prongs. Glue dot to top left page.
3. Attach a sticker to a chipboard piece and glue to bottom L of page.

Page 4: Holes on Right (Turn previous page over)
1. Cut a 12 x 5 inch strip of Hammond Drive Pink (Pink and orange donuts) and fold 4 inches back to make 8 x 5 plus a 4 inch flap.
2. Cut a notch out of the top of the 4 inch flap to create a library pocket. Glue bottom and side to form pocket.
3. Cut a 3 x 3 1/2 inch piece of Hampton Belmont Circle (Pink and orange flowers). Staple a pink photo corner to the top and slide in pocket.
4. Glue crown chipboard piece to pocket and glue dot gem onto crown.
5. Glue pocket strip to page 2 inches above bottom.
6. Glue on remaining photo corners.
7. Cut a 8 x 1/2 inch strip of Turner Street (green numbers) and glue below pocket strip.

Page 5. Holes on Left
1. Glue pink and orange stripe square scallop matte to page slightly above and left of center.
2. Matte a sticker onto a piece of Turner Street (green numbers) and glue below and right of square.
Fast Track: Hot dog fold the petals to add dimension.
3. Glue center only of flower and adhere to page. Adhere gem with glue dot.

Page 6: Holes on Right. Turn previous page over.
1. Thread flower through paperclip and clip to frame.
2. Glue frame to center of green numbers page.
3. Glue down chipboard circle frame.
4. Adhere butterfly sticker in frame.

Page 7: Holes on Left. Pocket Page
1. Cut a 12 x 8 piece of Kennedy Blue Green (blue with white dots). Score horizontally at 5 3/4 from top edge then 2 inches below first score mark.
2. Fold paper up along the first score line and down along second.
3. Glue folded layers together at the sides only to create pockets on either side of the paper.
4. Cut a 1/2 x 8 inch strip of Hammond Drive Pink (orange with white diagonal stripes and dots) and glue just below pocket opening.
Fast Track: Scallop cut the edge of the strip before glueing. Cut a 3 1/2 inch square of Hampton Belmont Circle (Pink with white drops).
5. Glue a 3/4 x 2 1/4 inch scrap to "let's focus on me" chipboard piece and attach butterfly sticker. Adhere to pink square and glue to bottom right of pocket.
6. Add photo corners.

Page 8: Holes on Right. Upside Down Page
1. Clip the orange birdie square to pocket.

Page 9: Holes on Left.
1. Using chipboard back cover, trace and punch holes in Buckley Stars Blue ( rain drops) paper and glue to chipboard back with holes on the Left.
2. Cut a 3 x 8 inch strip of Belmont circle (orange and pink flowers) and glue two inches above bottom.
Fast Track: Snip 1/2 inch between each petal, ink flowers, and fold in half and half and half to add dimension. Fold edges up slightly.
3. Stack flower using pop dots between the top two flowers. Attach button with glue dot. Adhere to striped chipboard strip and glue one inch below the top of Belmont Circle strip.
4. Leave or cover chipboard phrase strips with paper scraps.
Fast Track: Sand and ink edges.
5. Adhere chipboard strips to bottom of page vertically.

Page 10 Holes on Right
Glue orange 1 x 8 strip 1 1/4 inches above bottom edge of plain chipboard page.
Layer strip of Turner Street (green numbers) over orange strip.
3. Hand cut two huge leaves and glue to the back of huge 5 inch flower and glue to page, slightly overlapping strips.
Fast Track: Snip between each petal of pink flower. Curl petals for dimension.
4. Attach orange circle to pink flower with a pop dot. Glue flower off centered onto large flower.

Finishing it up:
Mark and punch any missed holes. Open rings and insert pages. Clip closed and add ribbon.

I'm Home From CBYC

I had a terrific and exhausting weekend down in Utah teaching at CBYC! I met a lot of wonderful women and saw some of their amazing work. There were a lot of talented people at the crop! I only wish I had time to actually sit down and make a few pages. I get more behind each day!

My good friend, Laura, helped me cut the kits. It was a lot of work and I was so grateful for her help! The Atkisson girls also saved my album kittting bacon!

Do you see me in the back ground looking very confused at the Stampin Up card class? I was feeling very anxious during this class since it was right before mine and I was having a difficult time hearing the instructions.

I had a lot of fun teaching my card class. The students were amazing and did a terrific job on their cards.

So here I am posing for a massage photo. I didn't have time to get a massage, sadly, but maybe next year!

Kris was amazing and thought of everything and everyone. Even the teachers got a goodie bag.

Laura and I, the Idahoians, with baby Trevan.

My little croppin' buddy, Trevan.

At around 5pm I wanted to crash . . . but I couldn't. First thing when I got to the crop, I locked my keys in my van and had to go find an officer to jimmy the door open. I totally lucked out when I realized that officers from 3 or 4 districts were at the Safe kid's event next door. I found someone to pop the lock in about 3 seconds! Hooray!

Doing the Chipboard album at the end of the day may not have been the greatest idea. It took about 4 hours to complete the album due to many interruptions and we were all pretty much brain dead by that time!

I can't believe how much work it takes to put on an event like this. Kris and her crew did an amazing job! Total exhaustion, but what a great cause! Have fun little campers!

Brave Mom Flower Card

My friend just sent her son on his mission to Arizona. She was brave. I hope to be like her some day.

Since I am teaching a technique class on paper flowers next weekend at Crop Because You Care to benefit the Epilepsy Association of Utah, I thought I had better start practicing. These are fun and very easy.

Accordion Flowers: Cut paper 1 1/4 by 12 and fold back and forth. Attach ends and flatten. Squeeze center together tightly. I cut a circle and put a large Zots and stuck it to the folds to hold secure.

Fringe Flower: Cut a 2 by 12 inch strip of paper. Fold in half. Cut fringe all along the unfolded edge. Scrunch the fringe to make it fluffy. Put a little adhesive along the folded edge and roll.

Let me know if these instructions don't make sense, or you would like more info.

Spring is coming, even to Idaho! The crocuses are starting to peak their little green heads out through the snow. They were bread to be hearty little things. I wish I was as hearty in the snow.

Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day because there are lots of opportunities to make fun things for those you love best! We started the day off with a very rushed breakfast (thanks to 9 am church!) of pink cherry heart pancakes.

When the kids got up, they sheepishly said with big grins, "we knew you were making those for us, Mom." So much for the element of surprise. Those kids have no idea how lucky they are.

Even Alex got creative. He made these origami roses for his girlfriend. Very crafty and clever!

We had a fun Valentine Dinner at the church on Friday. The decorating committee was brilliant; they assigned people to decorate these giant poster board hearts, then they put them up all over the gym. It looked great!

I added tulle and lace to the border and printed off a vintage valentine picture. I used some black and cream patterned paper ad added a few embellies. The words were cut with my cricut.

My Valentine for the one I love. I had a little trouble putting the micro beads on the key. It just didn't cover very well. I'm going to have to play with this. My chipboard Y was missing, so I had to cut off part of an x. DH didn't really get the message. I had to explain it to him "key to your heart . . . "

"...is through your stomach!" He loves Arby's (he got that part ;).

A little Fry box altered for my BDD (big dear daughter) My BDS got one of these too.

The three younger ones got Target mailboxes altered to match their rooms. These were quick little jobs.

Fun Cosmo Cricket robots!

Fun day of love and giving!

My Little Valentines Photo Valentines

It has been way too long since I've posted, and I am going to make up for it, I promise!!!


Here is a really fun, easy Valentine--maybe for next year since Valentine's Day is only 3 days away {Unless you're really quick and take advantage of 1 hour photo like I did}.

This is the "After" Photo.

...and this would be before {Backwards, I know} So, you take a photo of your child with his fist out. Then edit the picture with a message and print. Cut slits above and below the hand and slide the pen or pencil or sucker or pixie stick through the slits.
It really plays tricks with your mind. That's why I love it so much! We did Rose Pens for the teachers.