Love Bug Butterflies!

I love craft time at our house. I found this craft online and knew the kids would love to make them. 

I started running around the house telling everyone not to throw away the toilet paper rolls when they finish a roll (this happens a lot in my house so my family is used to my craziness!). I then spent some time prepping for the craft. I have found if you have all the supplies ready and you only have to give the instruction, our craft runs much smoother. I precut some Valentine scrapbook paper for the body. I then pulled out my Cricut machine and cut 1 in and 3 in hearts out of 3 solid colors (white, pink, and red) using George Basic cartridge. I also use B is for Boy cricut cartridge to cut out a mouth for each butterfly. I gathered some googly eyes and twisted some pipe cleaner around a pen. I was set to go!

We already have our buckets that have everyone's supplies in them for school or crafts. You can see them HERE in our playroom. All we needed was our glue sticks. The kids were so excited to start. 

The instructions are easy.

1. Glue pre-cut scrapbook paper around the tube.
2. Glue 1 in hearts on two 3 in hearts.
3. Glue 3 in hearts on the back of the tube to appear as wings.
4. Glue mouth and googly eyes on.
5. Attach antennas. I attempted to staple them to the tube but that was difficult so I ended up taping them to the inside of the tube. 

And here is how the kids love bug butterflies turned out! 

Organizing My Scrap Room - The Details

I am so enjoying my space now that it is all organized. I almost don't want to leave it but I would miss my family! The space was overwhelming when I started. I took all the box out and put them in the hallway so I had a blank slate with just my favorite pieces from Ikea. I knew it was going to be awhile for paint in this room so I wanted to bring some color to it. I picked up all the pink bins and baskets at various stores and now just need to figure out what was going to go in them. I sat in my chair and spun around trying to imagine what I would need at my finger tips when I am scrapbooking, and what I don't use that often. I started with my big Expedit first. 

Using baskets, bins, and 3 drawer storage bins I organized all my favorite scrapbooking items, such as my stamps, punches, embellishments, stitching tools, inks, embossing supplies and more. To my left is my extra deep bookcase which I love! I almost wish I had space for another one.

The bottom holds my papers. I am patiently waiting for Michaels to put their Recollections on sale so I can grab another paper cube. The large storage holds all my albums. I am not a scrapper who works on only one album until it is done. I like to jump from book to book based on what is inspiring me. I have one empty bin so I guess I have to get scrapping another album. 

The top hold two scrapbooks that my Mom made for me, and I love to look at them over and over so I keep them accessible. It also holds my sticker binders and Cricut cartridges. Tucked in the corner I have two storage carts with more scrapbook supplies.....yes I know, I have a lot of stuff! 

Finally across from my desk I have the smaller Expedit that holds all my photos; loose and in albums. I also have a caddy to hold my remote controls and items that float around my room such as lotion and hair ties! I also have my Cricut machine that I cannot live without and my TV, and Ipod player. 

I LOVE my space!! It is my happy place and I love how I organized it. I plan on spending many hours in here scrapbooking, blogging, studying, planning, and just relaxing in a space that is all my own! 

Happy Organizing! 

Organizing my Scrap Room

If you read my earlier post on my one word you know it is to ORGANIZE! My question to myself is where do I start?? My answer was my scrap room. One reason motivated me to start in my scrap room, I knew I needed a quiet space away from my family to plan my week, menus, school assignments, weekly task, scrapbook and more.

At our old house I had a small corner of a dark, cold basement. When my husband and I began looking at houses I knew a room/space all to myself was a must. So this is how it started.....

Before we moved I took my husband to Ikea to show him what I wanted in my room. He kept telling me that there was no way I was going to fit all the furniture and all my "stuff" in that room. I guess he didn't know who he was talking to! We moved in, put my furniture together, and then piled the boxes in. You couldn't even walk in the room! I wish I would have taken a before picture. This room was last on the list to unpack as I needed to unpack the rest of the house and get us settled. So the door stayed closed until now. I spent two days unpacking, and organizing it. And here is how it ended up......

Everything has a home and it has become my happy place. I knew this room would be important for me to organize first. Now I can start the New Year in an organized space to continue working on my one word for 2013; ORGANIZE! 

Come back tomorrow and I will tell you how I organized this space. 

Happy Organizing!

Present tags out of Christmas cards

Christmas cards! I love to give and get Christmas cards. The holiday season is always so busy and trying to see all of my family and friends can be difficult. I want them to know that our family is wishing them a wonderful holiday and a happy new year even if we were not able to get together and celebrate. 

Christmas comes and goes and your left with a stack of cards from family and friends. What do you do with yours? Well I used to save each and every one in a box! I always enjoyed looking back at them the next Christmas but thought to myself "do I really need to save these?" I am always trying to re-purpose things and as I was flipping through past cards I thought some of them would make cute tags. So for a few years now that is what I have been doing with my Christmas cards. 

First I read each one over again! I mark off who I received cards from in my Christmas planner, and then I pick out the card that I think will make a cute tag.

I then get out my tools that I will need. My Fiskars paper cutter, and my favorite punches. 

I then trim off the parts of the cards I will not need. 

I then take my punches and punch out the area in circles, scalloped circles, scalloped squares or I just use my corner round punch to round up the corners. And wa-la I now have tags for my presents next year. 

All you need to do now is use a hole punch, string some ribbon through it, and fill out your to and from on the back. Some tips for you to remember; check the back of the area you want to punch as some cards have writing or another picture there and you will not be able to write your to and from, don't forget to look at those photo cards - I trim out the picture for a photo album but use the images for tags, look for images inside the card and on the back of the card too - sometimes they will work for a tag, and finally don't attempt the cards that have a paper lining inside - they are glued in there and don't come apart nicely leaving you with a messy back to your tag.

Took a break and scapped!

It felt so good to take a break from my chaos and scrap. Did a quick digi page. Enjoy!

Products used: Bella Gypsy Extra Strength Mischief Kit and I do what I want template from Bella Gypsy.

Don't forget about those bus drivers!

I wanted to thank Nathans bus driver Kim. She is so sweet,  and always waves at me when she picks up Nate. On the school improvement days when Nathan has AM Kindergarten instead of PM Kindergarten she always makes sure he gets in the house before she pulls away. It also blew my mind that she gave Nathan goodie bags for all the holidays! I never had a bus driver do that when I was younger. So I made her a card and then found this of course on Pinterest!

There are several great printable on this site. Click here for the bus printable. Here is the card I made her. I love it! It started off with just the bus and then my mojo kicked in.