Rainy Day Art

It was a very rainy weekend this past weekend and Chris wasn't feeling all that great when he woke up Sunday, so we ended up not going to church. Since it was raining I took advantage of a cute craft idea I had seen on a blog.  First, you have the children color a picture using markers and be sure they cover most of the paper with color.  I think Cameron had more marker on his hands than he got on the paper, but he had fun!  That is what matters.  
Next, you hold the paper out in the rain for a minute or two until the drops start to spread the marker.  It gives it a watercolor look. The harder it is raining the less time it will take for your art to take shape!
Finally, let it dry and enjoy!  The boys made several pictures.  It is hard to see exactly how they turned out from the pictures but we had fun and made some cool pictures!

File Folder Menu Planner

For my sister-in-law's bridal shower, I decided to put together a "basket" of cooking items.  She got dish towels, pot holders, a cookie cookbook, and it was all put into a cute lime green colander that I found at Marshalls.  She really likes to cook and so that got me thinking.  A file folder organizer doesn't just need to be used for a Christmas Planner or an organizer.  I decided to make it into a menu planner.  The four pockets became holders for various recipes: appetizers, main dish, side dish, and dessert.  The look on her face when she opened it was great!  She loved it.  This is something I can continue to add to for her as well by typing up more recipes and giving them to her!  

Girlie Birthday Cards

One of my dear friends has twin girls that turned one at the end of December.  It was wonderful to get to make some very girlie cards.  There are lots of pinks and purples in my paper collection, since they don't get used in the boys' scrapbooks.  I used the Plantin Schoolbook Cricut cartridge to make the tags on the envelopes and to cut out the flowers.  

Christmas Crafting

This year I found a wonderful website to help you get organized for Christmas.  If you know me then you will know that I LOVE anything organizational, so I was excited about getting all organized for Christmas.  Anyway, part of getting organized is to make a planner.  I used a binder but I saw the idea for making a planner using a file folder.  My initial thought was, "That looks like it would take WAY too much time!"  

Fast forward about 2 months...  My SIL is getting married in February and I am thinking about her shower gift.  I wanted to give her a few recipes but in a cute way.  So again, I was drawn to the file folder pocket file.  I decided yesterday to try it out.  I was amazed to find it only took a couple of hours.  The first 30 minutes was just trying to get the measurements right for the folding.  Today I made another one and was able to do it in just an hour.  These are very versatile and fun.  I am already imagining the different ways I can create these for people as gifts.  

Here are the directions: 

1. Take a regular file folder and score it so that it will create 4 sections.  From the middle you measure 4 1/8" to the left and score it.  For the right you measure 4 1/4".  

2. Score the folder 3" from the bottom and fold up to create the "pockets".

3. You have now created the basic shape.  Next comes the fun part... adding color!

4. Using decorative paper, cut out the papers to fit the outside of the file.  (Note:  I discovered that the "tabs" can be cut on once and used on the front and back.  This saves you a step and extra cutting.  I just use the same paper for the front and back.)

5. Glue the paper to the outside leaving the "pocket" part unglued for now.  

6. Glue the papers to the front of the pockets.

7. Add coordinating papers to the inside of the files.

8. Fold and your book is almost done!  Here is the finished inside.

Here is the outside.

9. Finish with two eyelet holes on the front and back covers and lace with a ribbon.  I have not yet done this step since I don't have an eyelet punch or ribbon that coordinates with this paper.  Stay tuned for more!

I can't wait to make these as gifts.  This one is for a special friend.  She knows who she is and she knows why this one is for her!!! 

They Are Finished!

I have finally finished a set of Jesse Tree ornaments.  I added the ribbon so they could be hung on the tree.  On the backs I wrote the day that corresponds to each ornament and the scripture passage that tells the story of Creation to Jesus's birth.  I can't wait to start the devotions each day with the boys and placing the ornaments on the tree!  I pray this is a tradition that will be kept for years to come and passed on to their children.

Jesse Tree for Christmas

I have started to create ornaments for a Jesse Tree.  I read about this on a blog and immediately fell in love with the idea.  Starting about 4 weeks from Christmas you sit down as a family for an advent devotional.  For each passage of scripture there is a person and an image that corresponds.  You then place the ornament on the tree.  I decided to use felt to make them since I don't have a sewing machine.  The ones below are not completely finished and I have since made 7 more.  I will keep you updated as we get close to starting our Jesse Tree this year!

Scrapbook Palooza!

So today the moms group had a craft day.  My friend Heather was too sick (Naughty little June Bug) to come and we missed her, but Jen did come over for several hours this afternoon.  I had started working around 7:30am and I got several pages done today.  Jen worked on peppermint soap that made my kitchen smell so yummy!  It was a wonderful day that could only have been made possible by my amazing hubby who watched the boys all day.