Tuesday, May 22, 2012

DIY Baby Shower Ideas and Tutorials

I'm very excited to offer another class through My Creative Classroom this summer!  I've put together many of my favorite ideas and tutorials for the cutest diy baby shower ever.  This 4 week class is full of adorable ideas, whether you're planning a shower for a boy or girl.  We'll make invites, thank you note set, diaper cakes, banner, favors, decor, and more!  My theme for my sample projects is owls, but every project is easily adaptable to your shower colors and theme.  Join me for this fun and project-filled class and prepare a great shower for that next baby in your life!


The classroom is now open for registration (click on the photo above or Here).  Class start date is June 25th.  Remember this class is completely online and can be finished at your own pace.  During the class, help is available through interactive forums and project galleries.  I hope to see you in class this summer!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Summer and Echo Park Layouts

Love to go into Scrapdoodles and see what catches my eye.  I knew I had some summer layouts to do, and Echo Park "Happy Days" collection caught my eye.  I created these two layouts using papers and a few layered chipboard embellishments from this collection.  For my first layout, I started with plain white cardstock.  I cropped a four horizontal photos and backed them with black cardstock, then a strip of patterned paper.  I added the three strips on the right and a few embellishments.  I cut my title with my Cricut (cousins is from "Heritage" and friends is from "Create a Critter").  I thought it needed a little more so I punched out several circles and popped them up with a foam dot.  I love the white on white dimension paired with the bright colors.

I journaled on my computer and then printed it out on cardstock to add to the page.  I normally just write, but I wanted to keep the look relatively neat.

Last summer, H. really started choosing what to wear for herself and it was (and still is) an adventure in creativity.  Here she is with a tutu and camouflage cap that says "lil' Hunter".  Definitely one of a kind!  Again, all the papers are embellishments are from Echo Park.  The title is a cut from "Once Upon a Princess".  I just love how she mixes styles.  Something to learn there.

Summer Activities Bucket

It's hard to believe it's the middle of May already and summer is just around the corner!  Kids will soon be out of school and lots of summer activity lists have been popping all over the web and Pinterest.  I love the idea of having a list of activities to choose from throughout the summer, so even though my little one isn't even in school yet, I'm jumping on the bandwagon.  I picked out these sweet summery papers from Nikki Sivils' "Exit Here" collection - bright and sunny colors, fun patterns.  The sheet of coordinating die cuts are perfect for little projects like my Summer Bucket List.  My LSS, Scrapdoodles, is the perfect place to get inspired.

If you want to make your own, find a suitable bucket (mine was an empty baby formula container) and recover it with paper and embellishments.  I covered two dowel rods with papers and strung a length of twine across to create the banner.  The dowels are stuck in a piece of floral foam inside the container.  Layer on more embellishments and load it with lots of summer activity ideas.  There is no shortage of ideas on the web and/or Pinterest.  Mine are geared toward my young daughter.  Feel free to use mine and add to it with ideas from your kids!

1.   SUMMER READING CLUB AT THE LIBRARY
2. POOL NOODLE AND BALLOON GAME
3.  BACKYARD PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT
4. INDOOR SCAVENGER HUNT
5.  ABC SCAVENGER HUNT
6. MAKE FRUIT/JUICE POPSICLES
7.  MAKE ICE CREAM IN A BAGGIE
8.  MAKE YOUR OWN FINGER PAINT AND PAINT
9. MAKE YOUR OWN CHALK PAINT, PAINT OUT ON DRIVEWAY
10.       GIANT BUBBLES
11. DYE PASTA OR RICE and MAKE JEWELRY, PICTURES, ETC.
12.       PAINT ROCKS
13.        MAKE STEPPING STONES (QUICKRETE AND MARBLES OR KIT
14.       MAKE A MOBILE USING OLD UTENSILS
15.        PAINT BY NUMBER
16.       LEAF (OR COINS, ETC) RUBBINGS
17.        FINGERPRINT DRAWINGS (ALA ED EMBERLY)
18.        MAKE PUPPETS AND PUT ON A PUPPET SHOW
19.       MAKE A SUMMER WINDSOCK WITH RIBBON OR CREPE PAPER
20.     CHECK THEATERS FOR FREE SUMMER
21.       GO FISHING
22.     GO CANOEING
23.      BACKYARD CAMPING
24.     SMORES
25.      FAMILY PUZZLES
26.     SPRAY BOTTLE PAINTING OUTSIDE ON WHITE SHEET
27.      PLANT A GARDEN
28.      PULL WEEDS IN GARDEN
29.     MAKE A FORT WITH BLANKETS
30.      HOMEMADE SPRINKLERS (PVC PIPES, BOTTLES, ETC)
31.        MAKE GOOP
32.      MAKE AND/OR FLY KITES
33.      MAKE AND PLAY CARNIVAL STYLE GAMES
34.      PLAY AT A NEW PARK
35.      BARBIE FASHION SHOW, TAKE PICTURES AND MAKE A SCRAPBOOK
36.     BACKYARD ART PARTY, INSPIRED BY PINTEREST
37.      TEA PARTY IN THE GAZEBO
38.      MAKE A FAIRY GARDEN IN PLANT CONTAINERS
39.     TIE DYE SHIRTS
40.     HOPSCOTCH OR 4-SQUARE OUT ON THE DRIVEWAY
41.       SET UP A TREASURE HUNT IN THE BACKYARD
42.     GEO-CACHING
43.      STRAW PAINTING
44.     MAKE PHOTO POPSICLE STICK PUZZLES
45.      BUG COLLECTING
46.     WATCH A MOVIE OUTSIDE
47.      STAR GAZING
48.      LETTERBOXING
49.     READ IN THE GAZEBO OR PLAY FORT OUTSIDE
50.      BIKE RIDING
51.        GO HIKING
52.      LEMONADE STAND
53.      WASH THE CAR
  
Join me for more summer diys at Nap Time for Crafters Link Up Party.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Wedding Celebration

Hannah and I had a fun trip to visit my sister in SC and help her put on a very nice backyard party to celebrate my niece's wedding.  We made banners, luminaries, signs, a card box, set up a fun photo booth area, crafted two hula-hoop chandeliers to hang, and more.  Fun, fun, fun!  I especially loved how the dessert table turned out, but was pretty happy with everything.  It was wonderful to be able to give my niece Kayla and her husband Corey a beautiful evening to celebrate their beautiful love!