Dec 25, 2014

Dec 7, 2014

Easy Christmas Card Ideas Gingerbread Man Card


Hi Everyone!  

Here is a Easy Christmas Card Idea.  This is the gingerbread man card.  Very easy to make and inexpensive.  I got ten of them for $1.00 at my local dollar tree.  Add a little bit of ribbon and some buttons and you'll all set.  This is perfect for when you have a lot of cards to make or if you want to give everyone the same card.  Quick and Easy Crafts are the way to do during the busy Holiday Season.  

Happy Crafting and God bless, Chan 

I got these Gingerbread men from my local dollar tree.  They came 10 in a pack.  
The Christmas Paper I used is double-sided.  This paper was given to me by a friend last year.  
Red Ribbon help to dress up and add color to the Gingerbread man.  

Here is the inside of the Card.  I printed out "Merry Christmas" on White Card stock and trimmed it in Gold paint.  The Gold helps to coordinate with the Gold Gingerbread Man on the Front of the Card.  

Merry Christmas from the Gingerbread Man!

Dec 4, 2014

Diy Christmas Wreath

Hi Everyone!!  Today I finished my Diy Christmas Wreath.  I used old faded notebook paper to make my little roses, then I spray painted them with Hunter Green Spray Paint.  To brighten the wreath, I highlighted each of my little roses with gold acrylic paint.  I hot glued them to a recycled pizza box that I fashioned into a wreath shape.  I really enjoyed making this project and I hope to use it for many years to come.

Happy Christmas Crafting and God bless, Chan


Red Ribbon from the Dollar Tree gave this easy diy Christmas wreath a cheerful and energetic pop of color.

Diy Christmas Wreath

I used gold paint to bright the dark Hunter Green color.

Merry Christmas!!!

Nov 21, 2014

7 Stress Free and Money Saving Holiday Shopping Tips for Christmas

Christmas is coming very soon!  Now is a great time to start gift shopping.  It is always good to be cautious when purchasing gifts.  The holiday season is a joyous time of year.  Sadly, I have seen people argue over Christmas gifts.  I have found some ways to avoid unnecessary Christmas gift drama.  

1.  Ask for Shopping Advice

If I don't know the person very well, I'll ask one of her close friends for her likes and dislikes.  Then I have all the information I need to purchase the perfect gift.


2.   Use Gift Cards Frequently

Let Gift Cards Save the Day!  We never go wrong with gift cards.  Find out what store she likes and give her a gift card from that establishment.  Gift cards take the pressure off everyone. 


3.   Think Really Hard Before You Buy 
    
Make sure the gifts are appropriate in office or work situations.  Try to remember company policy and office etiquette.  Pens, organizers, and planners make excellent gifts for the office environment. Consider something practical, like a fancy calendar for the next year. Who doesn't need a calender?


4.  Give Christmas Items

Christmas themed gifts are wonderful.  I still remember a co-worker once gave me a Santa Claus cookie jar.  I used that jar for many years.  The gift was one of the nicest things anyone ever gave me. Christmas items make awesome gifts!  


5.  Gift Receipts Save Face and Feelings
    
Include a gift receipt with your gift.  If a person just doesn't like the item, he or she can discreetly exchange the gift without anyone ever knowing.


6.  Consider Food and Candy 

Give away Food!  Christmas Candy, gourmet chocolate, cookies, cakes are tasty gifts!  One year, I received a nice meat and cheese basket and I really loved it!  If the person does not eat meat, then give him or her a fruit basket.  You just can't go wrong there.  Who doesn't love gourmet food? 


7.  Be Creative and Make Your Own Gifts

Make handmade items.  If you crochet, why not make your friend a scarf or a small throw? Handmade Paper bag cards make wonderful gifts!  If a person is into crafts, create a gift basket of scrapbook paper, paper roses, envelopes, ribbons, buttons, and other items.  
 
Buying Christmas Gifts need not be a stressful thing.  Enjoy the Holiday season!
Photo Courtesy of merrychristmasfestival


Nov 19, 2014

Rolled Paper Roses

Hi Everyone!

Here is my latest project.  I made a picture with my rolled paper roses.  For the background, I recycled part of a frozen pizza box and covered it with paper.  To make a frame for my picture, I used pages from an old novel.  Twine is being used to hang the picture on the wall.  Around the frame are tiny little paper roses I had in my stash.

Happy Crafting and God bless, Chan

Rolled Paper Roses are wonderful for home decor because they tend to stand out from a picture or item.  The best thing is if one comes off, you can just make another one and pop it right back on!  


Rolled Paper Rose Tips: 

I practiced using old catalogs until you get the hang of it.  I started with newspaper and it didn't work too well for me because my fingers got all dirty.  I used catalogs until I learned.  Now I can go back and use newspapers because I am a lot quicker at it and it doesn't dirty my fingers as much. 





To see a tutorial on how to make these roses, click the image below.


Oct 28, 2014

How to Make Rolled Paper Roses

Hi Everyone!  Here is a little video about how to make rolled paper roses.  This is my new favorite thing!  I have about three bins full of these roses and I will share them with you on an upcoming video.  Until them, keep on crafting!

God bless, Chan

Rolled Paper Roses in the color of pink.

Aug 28, 2014

Scrapbooking Trends for 2014

I have noticed some hot trends in the crafting industry.  There are thousands of videos posted on YouTube about the latest inventions in the craft world.  Luckily, these new trends are geared towards making crafting easier for the average person.  It is nice to see things being done to include more people.  I feel we all have a little artist inside all of us just waiting to create something wonderful.

First, Color Sprays are growing in popularity in 2014, and they come in just about any color one can imagine.  Color sprays add vibrant color to mixed media, paper flowers, greeting cards, and scrapbooks. The paints make things so much easier for us to be even more creative than before.   Anyone can paint now even if he or she has no painting experience.  Just get some color spray and color your world!

Gorjuss stamps are adorable and have been on the market for a few years now.  In 2014, Gorjuss is still more sought after than ever.  Many scrappers are using these stamps to add charm, sunshine, and fun into scrapbooks, greeting cards, and tags.  There are different styles available, and new stamps come out every year.  Easy to use, Gorjuss stamps are like coloring books for adults.  We just stamp and color in between the lines!

We R Memories Punch Boards are also exploding in popularity this year.  The first punch board was for envelope making.  Now We R Memories has punch boards for flowers, gift bags, gift boxes, pillow boxes, and candy boxes.  These boards are a real money saver because we no longer have to buy these items, but we can make them!  We also have more choice and options in that we can use any color or style of paper we choose.

StampinUp is the place for stamping needs, and the organization has grown tremendously over the years. StampinUp offers the crafter a wide variety and selection of stamps, punches, dies, and other crafting tools. I like StampinUp because this company offers the buyer a choice between clear-mount and rubber-mount stamps for many designs.  Many crafters are shopping with StampinUp this year, and this is why I have included this company in my hot trends list.

Last, is the Chalkboard trend which has been around for a while.  Personally, I love the chalkboard, and I love decorating this piece with lovely paper flowers.  I have also seen one crafter embellish a chalkboard with colorful, cheerful flag banners.  Craft retailers are even selling lovely chalkboard stamps with beautiful designs.  I believe the chalkboard is very popular this year because this item takes us back to our school days when life was not so complicated.

The 2014 is going away fast!  I wonder what new things next year will bring?



Related Articles:

Which Is Better?  Joann or Michael's?

Live Long, Laugh Hard, Love Much
Tree of Good Fruits

Aug 24, 2014

Which is Better Joann or Michael's?

Many crafters shop at both Joann and Michael's Crafts Stores. What is the different between the two stores, and how are the stores the same?  It is important for us crafters to know this information so we can save time and money while shopping for supplies.

Joann and Michael's are the same in that both stores carry crafting items like rubber stamps and scrapbook paper.  In addition, both stores also sell yarn and painting supplies.   When it comes to operating practices, both stores are open seven days a week with regular business hours.  I would also like to mention that prices seem to be similar between Joann and Michael's.  Save money by shopping only during sales, and this holds true no matter what craft store you choose.

Now that we know the similarities of the two establishments, let's examine the differences.   First, Joann is the place to go for fabric and sewing needs. In my area, about 50% of the store is devoted to fabric and other sewing supplies.  At Joann's, we can find patterns, sewing machines, and dress forms.  In addition, we can buy other sewing notions like interfacing, tape measures, elastic, needles, and velcro.

Michael's sells mostly the arts and crafts supplies.  In fact, that store is stocked with these items.  It is very easy to overspend at Michael's, and the shopping experience there is quite overwhelming.  I have even lost track of time while shopping there.  The Michael's store in my area also provides custom framing services and craft classes for the public.

So Which is better Joann or Micheal's?   Well, both stores are great.  Just remember Joann sells more fabric and sewing supplies while Michael's sells more arts and crafts supplies.

Hobby Lobby, AC Moore, and Ben Franklin are also good craft stores.   I do not have a Hobby Lobby in my area, but I have purchased rubber stamps online from this company.

Jul 30, 2014

Crafts Made From Recycled Packaging Tape Roll Live Long, Laugh Hard, and Love Much

This is a picture I made from the bottom of an empty resume paper box.  I used yellow paper in the background to give the piece a bright and sunny feeling.  

The Bird nest is made from recycled cardboard from a roll of packaging tape.  I was going to throw it away but it was very sturdy and I felt like I could do something productive with it.  In the bird's nest I added a variety of pink paper roses.  They represent eggs in a nest.  The actual bird is on top of the nest.  I was going to put her inside the nest, but I like the bird better on top of the nest.

To made the nest stand out, I added clear acrylic beads to the outer edge of the bird nest.  The bird nest was actual painted white on the inside and covered with scrapbook paper on the outside.   Right under the nest, are my little flowers.  I used four carnation pink paper roses and placed them on some five petal flowers that I made from scratch to make a layer floral look.  The cream five petal flowers were stained with pink distress ink.  To dress the flowers up even more, I added some pink and white polka dot ribbon to each one.  

Last, I finished the edges of the piece with an assortment of pink paper roses in different shades.  To help with negative space on the sides of the bird nest, I added some pink ribbon to both sides of the bird nest.  I used polka dot ribbon here also to tie in the other polka dot ribbon that is featured on the four roses at the bottom.   
Inside of the bird nest, it says Live Long, Laugh Hard, and Love Much. I put this in there as a daily reminder to me to never forget to enjoy life for it is a magnificent trip indeed.

Click Here for More Crafts Made from Recycled Materials


Jul 18, 2014

Crafts Made From Recycled Materials Tree of Good Fruits

Hi Everyone!  

This is my latest project.  This is called "Tree of Good Fruits" and it is made up of all recycled materials.  I used cardboard panel for the background.  Then I used old typing paper that I had around the house to make the rolled paper roses.  I will do a tutorial on these roses very soon.  Each rose has a good fruit attached to it.  I have this hanging in my room to constantly remind me of what I want to bring forth each and every day in my life.  

Happy Crafting and God bless, Chan 







Jun 29, 2014

June IARC Challenge

 Hi Everyone!

I recently found out about a Challenge Blog for IamRoses.  This month's challenge is for altered picture frames.  I made this from a wooden frame from Michaels.  I painted the frame in light pink then I wrapped the frame in white lace.  Then I added a whole bunch of pink and white Iamroses.  I added a handmade paper doll to the top with red hair.  The red hair is for my grandmother who had bright red hair as a child.  I had a dream about her several years ago and in the dream, she had bright red hair that was down to her waist. I saw her with my grandfather and they were both dressed in white.  I know she is with my Mom who just passed this year. I've even seen my mom in dreams.  I want to enter this challenge in both their honor and memory.

God bless, Chan

In loving Memory of my Mother, Jeanne 1947-2014
        and my Grandmother, Ethel 1922-2002


This is a picture of my late mother, Jeanne.









Jun 7, 2014

How to Make a Five Petal Flower

Hi Everyone! 

This is the first part of the flower tutorial for the flower featured in "Paper Flowers Craft".  This is the five petal flower that I used for that project.  I will upload a video and do another blog post for the other part of the project very soon. 

Happy Crafting and God bless, Chan















  


Jun 4, 2014

Paper Flower Craft Made From Recycled Cardboard Panel

Hi Everyone! 

I had these cardboard panels around the house for a long time.  I decided to recycle this panel and make into artwork.  I used golden yellow for the background.  I think it was the perfect contrast to the pink handmade flowers.  I will do a tutorial about how I made these flowers very soon.  Until then, Happy Crafting to you. 

God bless, Chan


I painted the edges of the picture white because the yellow paper was
significantly smaller than the actual board.  It worked out because it
gives the picture a framed look.

Here I added the word "love" but this can also be personalized with a name to
make the perfect gift!

Happy Summer!

Jun 1, 2014

Floral Crafts Made From Recycled Materials

Hi Everyone!  Happy Sunday!

Crafts made from recycled materials is becoming a big thing in the crafting world.  It is taking us back to the way things were before when our ancestors used to make everything they had.  They were recycling way before it was popular.  Recently, I recycled a pizza box and made it into floral picture.  You know those boxes that you keep throwing away can actually be recycled and made into neat artwork.  All you need is some flowers or whatever you want to make your picture.  You can even put a house or cat or dog on your artwork. I have discovered that recycling help free up money for more other craft items like stamps and punches.  Maybe one day I find a way to make those too.  If I do, I'll let you know. 

Happy Crafting and God bless, Chan

Bigz Fun Flowers die was used for the two large flowers.


The flowers at the bottom were made with recycled novel pages.

May 20, 2014

Dried Flowers

Hi Everyone! 

Recently, Ms. Connie Stumm of Fannies Follies sent me a package with items made from Dried Flowers. The items were absolutely beautiful. I really love the bookmark she sent me. I will be using that for my Bible. After I looked into it, I discovered a whole new world of crafts using Dried Flowers. It is a very popular niche in the crafting industry. I found out that there are even nail artists who are using dried flowers in nail designs. Dried Flowers are also very popular among Scrappers who make scrapbooks, tags, and cards.


For More information about Dried Flowers with Fannies Follies, please click here.

Happy Crafting and God bless, Chan




Birdie Condo by Connie Stumm


May 19, 2014

Rubix Cube 40th Anniversary

Rubix Cube is 40 years old this year!  This combination puzzle was invented in 1974 by Hungarian professor, Erno Rubik.  It was originally called the Magic Cube.  By the 1980s, this toy was being sold worldwide.  The main colors on the Rubix cube are Red, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Green, and White.  Hey, they left out pink!  LOL

I had a Rubix cube in the 1980s.  It was a favorite of mine second only to the arcade game of Pac Man.  I only solved the Rubix Cube one time and I don't know how I did that.  I just kept trying until it happened. 

To this day, people are still paying the Rubix Cube.  In fact, they have annual Speed cubing competitions for the Rubix every year.  I love the Rubix Cube because it reminds me of the fun times I had as a child and I am very thankful for those memories.  Happy 40th Birthday, Rubix Cube!  I wish you many, many more! 

Now where's that Pink Rubix Cube?

God bless, Chan


Rubix Cube 40th Anniversary

May 17, 2014

Paper Roses

Recently, I've been making a lot of my own paper roses.  I am really enjoying myself because I have so much more options in color and choice for my flowers.  I've been using a variety of different punches and dies.  In addition, I've been experimenting with using different distress inks.  I've noticed that the color of ink that is used on the flower gives it a whole new look.  I am going to be uploading a video about my paper flower endeavor soon.  Until then, I'll be rolling and punching some more flowers and having loads of fun. 

Happy Crafting and God bless, Chan


Making Paper Flowers is Fun!  I made these last week while watching TV. 


These are peach coral flowers.  I stared with cream card stock and distressed the edges with hot pink distress ink.  I believe I used worn lipstick by Tim Holtz.   


Combination Flower.  I used a five flower punch combined with a swirl flower die to create this one. 




I call this my country flower.  I used wooden buttons with twine. 
 


Make a Paper Flower Buffet!