Easy, fun Christmas gifts (and crafts)

Hi peeps...Just wanted to share some fun Christmas things we have been making/doing here at my house (even though I haven't been playing with paint lately :(  ) I really wanted to focus on making some things with my girls this year, putting some thought and time into it...instead of just grabbing items at the store just to give "something." There's 4 dance, teachers, regular teachers, soccer coach, mailman, trash guys, etc. I never know what to get these people, I mean, you can only get so many Starbucks gift cards...so anyway....here are a few easy, fun gifts to make and fun crafts to do with your little ones.

First up is the simple but genius "cookies in a jar"which I got from here (I just used choc chips). I had enough ingredients on hand to make 4 of these...and they are too cute!

Next I wanted to make a hot chocolate treat for the girl's class.  I made these last year also but didn't have a blog then.  Wilton decorator bags, hot cocoa mix, sprinkles, marshmallows.  Easy. Cute.

Yesterday I made Candy Cane Sugar scrub.  I got the idea from here. Here are the ingredients you will need:

For a smallish pintish size jar you will need (ignore the big jar in the pic):
2 Cups of white sugar
some coconut oil
some olive oil (perhaps)
red food coloring
peppermint essential oil

First batch I mixed up the sugar with about 1/2 cup of coconut oil and 1/2 cup of olive oil until I achieved the texture I wanted...you can always add more sugar or more oil! Then I divided the mix, dyed one half red and added the peppermint to that half.  Then you layer the white and red in a clean jar, packing it down as you go...

sorry about my finger in the pic

 

 The second batch I made, I realized that the olive oil was turning my sugar yellowish and that just the coconut oil would work fine because it smells sooooo good.  So I just used that.

I'm not going to say "easy peasy" because I hate that saying...but it is! Speaking of little trees...

I am obsessed with little trees this year....I saw a bunch of different colored ones on Pinterest and knew I had to get some and color them! These are the good ones to get if you are going to do this.  I got them at Michaels with a 50% off coupon so they cost about $10 for the big bag of different sizes.  The dollar store ones did NOT bleach out for me, even after hours, days in the bleach.

After a short while...few hours maybe for all of them...this is what they looked like...

See the dollar store one in the back? Grrrrrr....
So I decided to color them up using my different ink sprays from all different companies (yes I have many) and it was SO fun.  I was supposed to wait for my daughter's to get home to do this but I couldn't stop.  I think I left them 4.  Well, we can always get more! Here are some pics....

Now I am not sure what to do with them but I think glitter may be involved....
I think this post has gone on too long so I will continue tomorrow. Have a great day!
Sarah

Some really exciting news (for me) and a pretty quick gift idea!

Hello...I haven't posted in two weeks I just realized! We had company in my art (guest) room, Thanksgiving...a birthday, Christmas craziness, ect. so I have been missing my messy little world. I do have some really exciting news though: starting in Jan 2014 I will be on the Genuinely Jane Studios design team!!! They manufacture and sell real wood "books" in different shapes to alter or take apart for limitless art/craft projects.  They also have a store selling all kinds of supplies for art! Go check them out if you haven't already. I love their products and I can't wait to get to play with some goodies in the new year!

 I got a chance to play with some ICE resin by Susan Lenart Kazmer over the weekend with my 8 year old daughter and it was SO easy and SO fun! I had bought this tube a few months ago at Hobby Lobby ($11.99 but used my 40% off coupon).

 I took out all my bezels that I had been hoarding and mixed up the resin.  You depress both tubes with your thumbs, mix it up and wait 5 minutes. Easy right?  I also took a tooth pick and pulled out a few of the air bubbles.  Then you decide what you want to put in the bezels and fill em up.  The package says it takes about 12 hours to dry/cure. You can add some things, let the resin dry, then add more to have a layered effect but we were too impatient to wait for that!  My daughter and I had a blast playing with these...we put gears, glitter, metal words..and even ice cream sprinkles! I want to try adding paper  and sentiments next time.  You have to seal them first so the resin doesn't ruin it and I just wanted to keep it really simple for the first time.  We added some pretty ribbon and mailed them off to a few special people for Christmas.  Easy, fun, inexpensive!

 

Here they are all done...this is from one tube:

Have a great day!
Sarah

Bluuuue Peacock

Happy Thanksgiving evening! Hope you all had a great one (if you celebrate it).  I'm here to share a mixed media canvas I just finished using lots of texture, glass bead gel and some rub n buff.  I've been dying to try that stuff but wasn't sure how so I just went for it and rubbed on the peaks of the texture.  I didn't want to overdo it so maybe next time I will add a touch more, or try a different color.  Inka Gold also seems like it would have a similar effect.  I also added some thread that matched the colors in the image, I'm starting to really like the way thread adds texture. Some embellishments and I was done.  This was so fun to paint.  I was experimenting with shadows and color variations but really just love this blue color silk glaze.  I've only had one art class ever so I am learning it all myself by trial and error. Lots of error! But the fun is in the experimenting! I was inspired by the inkido blog that requires the use of thread or string.  I'm also going to enter into Limor Webber's FB group for this month's challenge calling for us to create using a technique or idea that makes us nervous to use.  So for me it was the rub n buff and the attempt at painting shadows.  Thank you and have a great weekend! Sarah xoxo

Christmas altered box

Good morning...I want to share a box I just made for the Flying Unicorn's round robin for this month.  I followed Sue who made the most incredibly beautiful box  and I had no idea what I wanted to make.  I kept thinking of gingerbread houses...initially that's what I was going to make, but I started it off kind of shabby chic and I really liked the blue/white combo and then added the pops of red (birds).  Here are the pics of the beginning:

 I adhered the patterned paper and ripped pieces to collage on the roof.

 I am going to enter this in the Frilly and Funky Christmas decoration challenge.

Also would like to add it to Scrapping4fun for the color challenge....hooking up with The Memory Nest for their anything goes link up.

Lastly, Frosted Designs is having a challenge where you can use one or all 11 of there "11 item challenge." On this project, I used lots of buttons, paper layering and flowers.

A layout and an ATC

Happy happy Tuesday...just wanted to share a recent layout of my littlest...love these Webster's papers!

I entered into a mojo Monday challenge at the Flying Unicorn, but I didn't win ;(

Last week I had the chance to go into my daughter's school to share my paper craft/art hobby in the form of ATC's.  My daughters love to make these so I thought it would be perfect for the fourth graders for the Great American Teach In. I am preparations for a papercrafting/art journaling class for kids, I have come up with many quick, fun  projects that will encourage the children to explore their creativity while also keeping it affordable for the parents.  Just waiting for the word from my neighborhood clubhouse and then my classes will begin. I am so excited and so inspired by the kids, they are not afraid to take risks and will try anything artistically. Here is a quick little ATC I made up before the class...so easy and fun! Thanks for stopping by!

Too Cool

It's Monday and creeeping ever so slowly toward the holidays but being in the 80's still here in Tampa, I keep losing all track of time! I really must get started on some Christmas projects but I guess it's good to slow down and appreciate November/Thanksgiving as well! I created this layout over the weekend for the 123 Challenge Blog.  They give you 3 "ingredients" you must use on your layout, makes it challenging and fun! This month they have provided the color teal, the word "cool" and stamping.  This is the first layout I've done of my husband, it was about time!  We were at Steak N Shake and he was being silly wearing the paper hat.  He is always clowning around like that! I haven't done too much with this style I used (stamping/washi tape/kind of simple) so I wanted to try something different.  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! xox Sarah

Autumn Time Altered Box

The other day I was sitting watching my daughter play soccer and saw this...

Not very common around these parts....made me a little home sick for MA...miss those gorgeous fall colors and the crisp fall feeling in the air....Then I got a prize pack in the mail from Bo Bunny from a Blog Hop with their beautiful "Autumn Song" collection.  This is what I created:

I just HAD to use that paper with the leaf I loved it so much.  So I created an altered box with the leaf as the main feature....

Here is the inside of the box where I added more paper and some embellishments.
  I really wanted to give this to my mom as a gift so I added a picture of her and my stepfather to make it more personal.  Thanks for visiting!
Sarah

I would like to enter this into the Frosted Designs challenge, where the theme is "giving a gift."
I am also entering it into the Dreamweaver challenge whose theme is "celebrations," and I am celebrating autumn with this gift. Lastly is the Scrapping 4 fun challenge which is "anything goes."

FYI: Scrapping4funchallenges is a blog I have recently discovered and they are having a design team call for scrappers with the term being Jan-April 2014. I am going to apply because I think they seem like a really fun place to be a part of, with oodles of talented DT members and great challenges. I  would be thrilled with an opportunity to make some creations for them. Maybe you would like to apply as well?  They are accepting applications until November 29th.