Festive Pillow

Happy Friday!

I love Friday... I'm not sure why since I typically teach classes on the weekends so it's more like the start of my continuous work week... must just be residual excitement from school days of long ago...

I want to show you a pillow that I created using my Silhouette SD and Flocked Heat Transfer Material (also from Silhouette). It's so easy, you don't need to be a good sewer, you just need to know how to turn on your iron and count!

I cut out a jingle bell and the word "Believe" from the red heat transfer material. I REMEMBERED (the 2nd time!) to mirror my word so that once I ironed it on it would read correctly. Once I cut these beauties out, I peeled off the negative space and then ironed them both onto a 12x12 in. piece of duck cloth (using the instructions on box). I then cut 4 -2x14 in. pieces of coordinating material and sewed them around the edge of my pillow - I just wanted to add a little something. I then cut a square (the same size of my front panel) from fabric and sewed all of my pieces together! Add a few buttons, stuff with a pillow and there you go! Super cute, super easy and I think I've spilled the beans for everyone's Christmas presents this year!

I have a lot more projects to share, so stay tuned!
Andrea

New Release Tuesday!!!

Ahhh, it's such a relief that I can finally post some pictures of projects that I've been making using LifeStyle Crafts "Winter Wishes" gift set, which I think it totally FAB-U-LOUS!!! Here are a few simple but CUTE gift card holders.

You can get 3 cards from 2 pieces of 12x12 paper. Not too shabby, huh? Just slide a gift card or photo into the front pocket and mail it off! I love that you can do this for any occasion, it really is a versatile set. I also love the font that comes with it, very fun and festive.

So, I know that I haven't been posting regularly, but the Holiday's are super busy in the crafting world (which I'm sure you know!), so please keep checking back and I promise to do my best to NOT let my blog wait til the 1st of the year!!! I really do have some super fun projects that I've been working on that I can't wait to share! I've been using a lot of the Silhouette SD lately, I'll be at Pages from the Heart (Monrovia) on Thursday night for a fun night of demo's and chit chat! Please call Kathy and join us!

See you back SOMETIME this week!
Andrea

There's a party in my Mouth! Party Mix

Hello -
Well, at a class on Saturday we made goodie bags filled with an easy and fun "party mix" for all the ladies in the class! We made super simple bag toppers (cut a 4x4 in square from patterned paper - fold in half, use a border punch on one edge, then we cut "Merry Christmas" using the Silhouette and glued them onto the square,) that we staple to platic baggies with munch in them. Easy easy! BUT, since everyone enjoyed the party mix so much I decided to post the recipe. This makes a TON, so make sure that if you make it that you have plenty of people to hand it out to, otherwise you'll have cavities galore!!

12 Cups Popped Popcorn (remove unpopped kernels!) OR 5 Cups Corn Chex
3 Cups Frosted Cherrios (I like to use generic fruit loops for a more colorful mix!)
1.5 Cups peanuts or pecans (I use cocktail peanuts)
1 Lg package M&M's (you can get them in a variety of colors to match your theme or season!)
1 10 oz pkg mini-twist pretzels
3 pkg white chocolate chips
3 tbsp vegetable oil

Line a few cookie sheets with wax paper or spray with pam (you'll need 4 or 5 cookie sheets)

Mix the first 5 ingredients together in an EXTRA LARGE bowl - I've had to use 2 bowls at times. I mix by hand, it just seems easier.

Melt the chocolate chips and oil in the microwave, I do them for a minute in the beginning, then go down to 15 sec intervals as they start to melt. Poor over mix. Stir with spoon.

Spread onto cookie sheets IMMEDIATELY!! You can put them in fridge for the chocolate to set up faster or you can leave them out in a cool room for about 2 hours. Store in air-tight container.

That's it! Very easy but makes a ton! And everyone who tries it can't get enough! Anyways, stay tuned! This week I'll be posting a project that I'm creating with the LifeStyle Crafts (formerly QuicKutz) NEW Christmas dies!!! Fun Fun!
Andrea

Happy Halloween

Buzz, Woody and Jesse all had a blast! Happy Halloween, all!

Good Witch or Bad Witch Pencil Can

Hello!
I'm horrible this week with my posts! We've just been too busy having fun - Adam and I have been doing a lot of Halloween stuff this week so my posts have fallen to the wayside! Anyways, here's a fun little project that is super easy and I re-used an aluminum can to do it! Saving Earth one project at a time!

I really loved the Cottage witch feet and I really liked the way my card turned out with them, so I used the same design (basically), and made a pencil holder from it. The label and house are from my Silhouette machine, the legs and shoes from Cottage Cutz and the wording I just printed off using my word processor. I used last years Eerie from Basic Grey for the green background. A little button with some bakers twine and here you are! A fun and cute pencil (or candy) holder!

I'll try to do a few more posts this week - I cant guarantee it tho - we're going to Disneyland tomorrow! Can't wait to go on the Haunted Mansion!
Andrea

Fall Door Hanger

Hello!

Here's a quick project that you can make for any season!!

I took 2 Coasters from Maya Roads and covered them with paper. I used WeR's Maple Grove line. I also used Cottage Cutz basket and apples to decorate my first coaster and my Silhouette to spell out fall. I used a wallet-sized picture of my son for the bottom coaster. Then just wire to connect the two coaster and a little more to hang it with and you're done! Super easy and super fun! This could even be a fun project for a Halloween party for your little guests to make to remember the event by!

See you all soon!
Andi

Boo-tiful Wreath

Happy Friday!

I don't know about you, but we're in Halloween countdown at the J House! We have 2 costume Halloween parties tomorrow, 1 Halloween Carnival and the "We're All Mad Here" Mini-Album on Sunday! Luckily, I don't get worn down by Halloween, I just totally enjoy everything about it.

I've been working on my and the Hubs Halloween costumes - my lovely sis-in-law helped me sew up my chaps, Hub's vest and my yarn hair yesterday... can you guess who we're going to be?? Yup, Jesse and Woody to Adams Buzz! I've had to be creative about our costumes since I didn't want to spend a fortune on them, I've done a lot of up-cycling, used a lot of Fabric-Tac (my sewing machine broke the other night) and have taken old shirts that "We never wear anyways..." and ruined them! I mean, added lovely embellishments to! I'll show pics this weekend!

Okay, but what I actually wanted to talk about it... my Boo-tiful Wreath! I had a lot of fun making this... I took a Styrofoam wreath form and hot glued strips of muslin that I had left over from playroom curtains to it. I made sure to tear the muslin instead of cutting it so that it wouldn't look perfect. I sprayed Tattered Angels Mist in slate and Creme de Chocolate on it just to age it a little. I then made some paper circles (I cannot remember the name of them! ugghh!) that I did a fan fold on and then glued them together at the end. I then adhered them to 2 circles, one on the back and one scalloped one on the front and hot glued them to the wreath. I added some Prima flowers in Halloween colors (love them!) and some buttons, hot glued a couple of plastic spiders and there you go! One boo-tiful wreath to have anywhere you'd like (mine is on our hall-tree, or as Adam calls it, the "hallway").

See you all soon! I'm going to do a post a day till Halloween since I still have a lot of Halloween projects to share!
Andrea