Kids Crafts Saturday - Felt Garlands and Necklaces

Ok...it wasn't a Saturday - but for some reason any time we do crafts with kids I feel the need to call it that. I came up with this idea as a way to entertain the neighborhood kids one afternoon during Winter Break, but both of these projects would be FABULOUS Valentine's Day ideas!  All photos courtesy of Busy Bee Photography.

Felt Garlands
Assorted colors of felt
Die capable of cutting felt - I used Sizzix Circles #2*
Die cutting machine - I used my Xyron Creatopia with Shapez component
Xyron Creative Station with permanent adhesive - any size 5" or larger
Baker's Twine
*For the instructions I will refer to the circles, but they can literally be any shape you want.  How cute would hearts be!!

Using your die cutting machine, cut your circles out of felt (two per color/size).

Run one set of circles (one of each color/size) through your Xyron Creative Station.

Lay the other set of circles out in a line across your work space in the order you want them to be on the garland. Leave as much or as little space between each circle as you like - we left about an inch between each.

Lay the Baker's Twine across the center of your line of circles.

Take your set of adhesive backed circles and "match" them to the set of circles on the table.  When you press down to adhere the circles together, this will also hold your twine in place.

Custom Necklaces
Go to the jewelry aisle of any mass craft store and you can find pendant trays of every size and variety, as well as the glass cabochans (toppers) and chains that go with them.

You can also buy them in bulk on etsy and other online sites if you want to use them as a fun birthday party craft or school activity! I bought (and will refer to) 1" square trays.

Pendant Trays
Glass Cabochans
Photo, patterned paper, cartoon pages, etc
1" square punch
Xyron 1.5" create-a-sticker
Clear drying liquid glue - I used Diamond Glaze

Punch out your image from photo, patterned paper, etc and run through Xyron 1.5" create-a-sticker with image facing up.

Place image in to pendant tray - adhesive on the back will hold it in to place.

Place a small drop of liquid glue in the center of the image and quickly press glass cabochan in to tray. Hold for 10 seconds and then set aside to dry.

Several of the kids made these with their own photos inside for grandparent gifts.  What a wonderful idea!

One of the moms brought a toy catalog and the boys LOVED making necklaces with pictures of their favorite superhero.  I thought that was genius!

Last but not least - our neighbor Eleanor wanted nothing to do with crafts but is so stinkin' cute I'm just going to give her a shout out anyway.  Those sunglasses are the best quarter I ever spent!

Introducing Xyron's NEW Design Team Members - and Day 2 of Giveaways!

Last week we announced six new Xyron Design Team members - and today we want to introduce them to you!  We are SO excited to have some fresh new faces...leave them a comment here on the blog (and check out their personal blogs) and one lucky winner will receive paper packs from DCWV and Colorbok, and a Mega Runner and 1.5" create-a-sticker from Xyron!  I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning on my Facebook page!

name: Tina McDonald
lives in: New Brunswick, Canada 
blog: www.tinamcd-mysanity.blogspot.com
why we love her: Her tutorials are FANTASTIC and she uses a variety of different techniques on each project.
a little bit about her: I am 35 years old and live with my hubby of 12 years and our 5 beautiful children! Life is busy but exciting!!  Scrapping is my release from every day reality! I've been scrapping for about 8 years. I draw my inspiration from life around me!! Everything from the looks on my children's faces, to their clothes, to music we listen to and emotions in our daily life! My style is hard to pinpoint... but is kind of romantic, often simple, and slightly shabby by times. I love layering, B&W photo's and journaling strips!! I'm a Layout gal...  I love the photo's and the journaling... this is what it's all about for me! :) That is they WHY behind doing what I do! I have also grown to love creating cards and off the page style projects. I've had the honor of being on several fabulous Design Team's. I am presently designing for Spellbinders Paper Arts and WOW Embossing Powder US. I have had the honor of being published in several great magazines and books! (Scrapbook Trends, Canadian Scrapbooker, Summerset Memories, Create: Family, Scrapbooking and Beyond, Crafts N'Things and Scrapbook and Cards Today and more). I am so excited to be embarking on this new journey with Xyron! I look forward to inspiring you all and being inspired in return!

layout by Tina McDonald

name: Linda Abadie
lives in: Fairfax, Virginia
blog: http://lindaabadie.com
why we love her: We've been wanting to broaden our horizons in to the world of mixed media art, and Linda was the PERFECT fit.
a little bit about her: I am a Registered Nurse during the day and an avid papercrafter, who love painting and mixed media art. I was introduced to crafting at a very young age. I just love being creative and trying new techniques. Creating art has become therapy for me. It brings me happiness and helps me stay positive in life. I have adored Xyron products since I first discovered it and I am so thrilled to be a part of the team. I am excited to start this creative journey and share my creations with you.

layout by Linda Abadie

name: Van Nguyen 
lives in: Today - Rhode Island.  Tomorrow - San Diego!
blog: http://likethecar.blogspot.com
why we love her: Her clean and colorful projects, her photography, and we thought her Project 100 idea was genius! 
a little bit about her: I started scrapbooking right at the end of my maternity leave in mid 2010 with my amazingly strong-willed yet sweet daughter, Charlotte.  While I had slowly collected crafting things since I was a little girl (i.e. stickers, stamps, pretty paper), my desire to document her life really pushed me to pursue the hobby a bit more seriously.  It didn't take long before I acquired an extensive collection of supplies to satiate my scrappy appetite.  After I returned to work as a big firm attorney, I found creative refuge in scrapbooking.  Scrapbooking also gave me an outlet to write my family history - both the major and mundane events in life.  The preservation of history - this was a topic I studied as a student of public history in both college and graduate school.  Who knew that my academic studies would one day help mold how I scrapbooked?!  :)


I was born and raised in San Diego in a traditional Vietnamese home.  After high school, I left the mild southern California sunshine and bounced around the world - from Connecticut to Wisconsin, Hanoi to Melbourne.  I eventually found myself back in California for law school.  During law school, I married my high school sweetheart and best friend.  After a year of long-distance marriage, we finally found ourselves back home in San Diego.  This past September, with military orders in hand, I quit my big firm job and we moved our family of three to Rhode Island.  For the past seven months, I fully immersed myself in scrapping, crafting, and cooking as much as my daughter lets me.  In mid-May, my daughter and I will move back home to San Diego while my husband continues his military training and then deployment elsewhere.  

layout by Van Nguyen

name: Sharon Callis
lives in: Ardee, Co Louth, Ireland
blog: http://www.sharoncalliscrafts.blogspot.com
why we love her: Sharon could quite possibly be the Queen of the Xyron Creatopia.  Her 3-d cards completely blew us away...just look at the rest of the photos of the cake card you see below.
a little bit about her: I am 37 years old and I live in Ireland with my husband Kieran and my three children. I have been crafting for over twenty five years since high school. I started cardmaking ten years ago and I love love love it. My other passions are needlework, dollshouses, home furnishings, painting, drawing, 3d paper art and model making. I spend a lot of time designing, sketching layouts and drawing.  Last year I was crowned Cardmaking and Papercraft/ Quick Cards Made Easy Magazine Cardmaker of the Year 2011. I believe that using Xyron Adhesive products played a major part in me winning the title.  I used Xyron Adhesive products in creating all my entries. My work has been published in Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine, Papercraft Essentails, Creative Cardmaking and on Xyron facebook. I am beyond thrilled to be joining the Xyron Design team and I cannot wait to share my projects with you. 

card by Sharon Callis

name: Christina Heeren 
lives in: Des Moines, IA
blog: http://christinaheeren.blogspot.com/
why we love her: Christina has the ability to turn every day items in to creative, fabulous projects.  Her home decor ideas make us happy!
a little bit about her: I have been married to my wonderful and supportive husband, Doug, for 18 years. I have been blessed with four children who keep me inspired and on my toes! I started papercrafting over 14 years ago when my oldest son was born.  I love to create mini albums, scrapbook pages, cards, 3D projects, and more. When I'm not playing with paper I love to hang out with my family, volunteer at my children's schools, and work on my photography skills. I am very excited to be part of the team and can't wait to share my projects with you.

projects by Christina Heeren

name: Linda Neff
lives in: Howell, MI
blog: http://linda-neff.com/
why we love her: Her use of different mediums and techniques made us swoon, and her love of fabric made her the perfect choice as we expand in to the world of fabric crafting with our Creatopia!
a little bit about her: I discovered through my first attempt at scrapbooking I could create art – my way. With rubber stamps, inks, paints, paper, fabric and other mediums, I create a soft, vintage look that is sometimes natural and sometimes a bit more romantic, but always evolving. I enjoy making mini albums, scrapbook pages and wall art to capture my little scrapped treasures.


The mother of three adult children, I live with my retired husband in Michigan and spend my time designing and teaching classes. I am Ranger certified and currently am a Design Team member for Art Glitter, Globecraft Memories and now Xyron. I am always on the lookout for new techniques. I encourage others to dive head-first into the art of papercrafting, whether it be scrapbooking, stamping or altered art.

projects by Linda Neff

These fantastic ladies join our current fabulous Design Team members:

Jessica Barnett

http://www.sunnyside-updesigns.com/

Ann Corbiere-Scott

http://www.anncorbierescott.typepad.com/

Stacy Rodriquez

http://stacy-scrappinqueen.blogspot.com/

Christina Klauer

http://ckmom78.blogspot.com/

Angela Ploegman

http://www.angelaploegman.typepad.com/

Tammy Caudell

http://www.fromtheheartoftammy.blogspot.com/

Kay Brown

http://www.scrapbook.com/myplace/index.php?mod=galleries&u=463879&m=view&id=3592641&type=-1&start=1&page=1

We can't wait to see what they create together - hope you'll join us for the inspiration!

PS - Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win!

Make A Change Monday: New Blog and FIVE DAYS of giveaways!!

When I originally started my MAC Monday list earlier this year, one of the things towards the top of my list was to "improve the appearance of my blog". Early on I realized that I wasn't going to be able to do that on my own - (see this blog post if you are even thinking about starting a blog or overhauling yours by yourself) so I enlisted the help of the fabulous MaieDae - and after MANY months (totally my fault...I'm sort of a procrastinator), you see before you the result of many hours of research and color choices and design options - and I couldn't be happier!

So to celebrate...I'm having giveaways ALL WEEK LONG!!!!!! 

I'm still working on a few things - still trying to sort my posts by "type" (military life, kids crafts, etc), figure out the spacing problem, feel my way around blogger, etc - but PLEASE let me know if something is missing, or a link doesn't work - and after you've poked around leave me a comment. 

I'll select a winner every morning - so today's winner will be announced (on my FB page and via email) tomorrow morning, then I'll post another giveaway tomorrow, and so it will go all week!


Today's giveaway contains paper packs from DCWV and Colorbök, paper and stamps from BasicGrey's new PB&J collection, and a Mega Runner and 1.5" create-a-sticker from Xyron!

Thanks so much for being along on this ride with me...with this new blog we've got some WONDERFUL new things planned - can't wait to share them with you!

Heading back to HSN! Check out my schedule and some great savings!

I am SO excited for my friend Andrew Hiller - Andrew is the owner of We R Memory Keepers and Thursday is the WORLD LAUNCH of their eagerly awaited Lucky 8 punches.  Andrew will be on about a bajillion times during the day (first airing is Midnight Eastern time) and I'm excited to be a part of it.  See below for my schedule and the CRAZY savings on some of our favorite Xyron products.  Hope you'll tune in!

PS - Be sure to check my FB page throughout the week - I will be giving away some of the great products that air on Thursday!

*all times are Eastern - Thursday February 9th *

Midnight - Xyron 2.5" create-a-sticker plus refill - $18.95 - lowest price they've ever offered!

1am - Xyron Creatopia - $59.95 - retail is $99.99!

(then I will be taking a short nap!)

8am - Pink Paislee Sweetness Papercraft Kit (how PSYCHED am I to be airing some PP product this month - I love them!) - $24.95

Noon - Xyron Runner Bundle - $29.95 - this bundle includes a Mega Runner plus refill and a Tape Runner plus refill - it is a CRAZY deal!  The Mega Runner alone is $24.99 retail!

Noon - Pink Paislee Nantucket Cardstock Crafting Kit - $26.95

3pm - Xyron 1.5" create-a-sticker plus four refills - $12.95 - this is the lowest price they have EVER offered.  The machine alone retails for $10.99!

3pm - Xyron Creatopia - $59.95

6pm - Xyron Creatopia - $59.95

7pm Xyron Runner Bundle - $29.95

(then I will pack up, grab dinner/drinks with Donna Stork and Holly Fossen - and Andrew if he sells out! - and be in bed by 10pm!)

I'll end with a shameless plug/plea...as much as we all want you to buy our product, what we REALLY want you to do is buy our product while we are on-air.  I can't tell you how giddy we get (for ourselves and for each other) watching the numbers go up on the screen in the studio, and it makes HSN think we are REALLY cool when we have big numbers.  Just putting that out there.  :)  On behalf of all of the craft guests on HSN - thanks for watching!  We love you guys!

Make a Change Monday - don't be afraid to ask for what you want

As pretty much every much crafter knows, CHA is being held this weekend. It is an amazing opportunity to get together and share ideas, products and inspiration with others in the industry and I LOVE coming here. However - I came to a realization about myself this weekend that I think applies to a lot of women. I am afraid to ask for what I want.

While I could probably write 700 blog posts about how this affects my personal life, this weekend I discovered how much it affects my professional life. Part of my job at Xyron is to build partnerships with other manufacturing companies - whether it is cross promoting through videos, supplying product for HSN, coordinating make and takes, or making sure our design team has the latest and greatest, I work with other companies to make it happen. I LOVE this part of my work - and have made some amazing friendships because of it. As I have been thinking about you guys this weekend - my followers on this blog and my FB page friends - I wanted to make sure I came home with some fun new products to use as giveaways. Before I came to work at Xyron I remember what it was like to see all the photos of CHA and wish I could be there, and I wanted to bring a little of that home for you. HOWEVER - yesterday as I was walking the show floor I realized I was AFRAID to ask anyone for anything. Now you are talking to a woman who works for a company that has given away THOUSANDS of dollars worth of adhesive to other companies for this show, yet I would walk up to a booth where we donated runners and Xs and refills and I couldn't seem to say "Hey - I'd love to take a pack of your new rubons home with me for a giveaway". Couldn't do it. I also could not walk up to Theresa Collins (who is working on an AMAZING partnership with Xyron and who I ACTUALLY know) and say "could I get a photo of us together?" - it just wasn't me. Until last night.

On the shuttle back to the hotel I was having a conversation with Jenn Mason from Cloth Paper Scissors and some of my Xyron peeps, and a woman sitting in front of us suddenly turned around and said "Can I have your card?" and started telling us her story.  Turns out her products are a perfect match for a partnership with Xyron so we are going to stop by her booth tomorrow, but I was SO impressed with this cool chick (whose name I didn't catch) who saw a chance to interact with some established companies, and was proud/motivated/confident enough in herself and her product that she jumped in with both feet. First time exhibitor, new business woman, she knew what she wanted and asked for it. Can I have your card? Will you come by our booth? She inspired me to just take a deep breath and ask - and today was a whole different story. So I am coming home with a bag full of goodies, some new partnership ideas, and the kick in the pants I needed to not be afraid to ask for what I want. Yay me - and lucky you! Stay tuned this week and next for some AMAZING giveaway goodies!

Melissa Frances Chipboard Houses Tutorial

As I mentioned on my FB page a while back, I am OBSESSED with these houses. As I also mentioned, I am so disorganized during the holiday season that I meant to post this how-to BEFORE Christmas, but here we are. So - apologies for the lateness, but to make up for it I am giving away a few of these kits  (post your New Year's resolution by December 31st on the aforementioned FB page to enter) and I FINALLY present to you step by step instructions so you can make some of these houses yourself!  These would make WONDERFUL wedding or housewarming gifts too...chipboard houses ain't just for Christmas any more!  :)

PS - I would also like to give a shout-out to my mom (who we will refer to as Crafty Sharron from now on) who is here visiting for Christmas and helped me with the photos and made some fabulous houses of her own while I was working on this tutorial.  Thanks Mom!

Supplies needed:
Melissa Frances ornament cottage kit
Three (3) coordinating patterned papers - I used MME Lost & Found Christmas
Xyron 510 with permanent adhesive refill
1/8" Scor-Tape
Liquid glue
Craft knife and self healing mat
Two (2) coordinating misting sprays - I used Clearsnap Smooch Spritz Vanilla Shimmer and Perfect Pearls Bronze Mist
Coordinating acrylic paint and brush
Bazzill Basics textured vellum (optional)
Clearsnap Fairy Dust Glitter
Melissa Frances mini bottle brush tree
White cardstock and printer
Distress Ink - I used Antique Linen
Two (2) coordinating mini brads
Foam tape

Select the roof, house and base from your kit. Find the "top/front" of each piece (based on the way the pieces are scored).

Put the three pieces in the Xyron 510 with the top/front facing DOWN. 

Once you run them through the 510, peel off the clear film and then GENTLY peel the pieces from the backing.  Chipboard is created in layers so if you peel too fast the top layer of chipboard will come right off.

Place the adhesive side of your chipboard on the BACK of the patterned paper for each item (see photo of completed pieces below...for example - the yellow piece of paper that the roof chipboard is attached to has a red swirl pattern on the other side).

Use a craft knife to cut out each piece and sand if you want to.  :)

(photo of completed pieces)

Use your craft knife to gently cut along the score lines of the roof and house.  You don't want to cut too deep, but if you do over-cut don't worry - see my HELPFUL TIP at the very end of this post.

Apply misting spray to your base piece ONLY. Set aside to dry.

Apply misting spray to your window and door pieces. Set aside to dry.

Apply paint to your fence. Set aside to dry.

Take your house and roof pieces (NOT the base piece) and put them back in the Xyron 510 with the patterned paper side facing DOWN. Run through the machine, peel of the clear film, gently peel pieces off of the backing and lay with the patterned/adhesive side facing UP on your workspace.

Apply glitter to both pieces, rub with finger to cover and tap off excess.

(photo of completed pieces)

Tip: If you are using patterned paper that already has glitter on it, you can use the tip of your craft knife to scrape off the top layer of glitter, revealing the pattern on your paper.

On the back side of your house, place Scor-Tape around the edges of the door and window.

At this point I should stop, take a moment, and explain to you that I am usually not a crazy adhesive woman.  When I put a photo on a layout I use some adhesive on each corner, not adhesive all around the edges and then some in the middle for good measure.  I'm not stingy with my stickiness, but I am not going through five refills per project if you know what I mean.  HOWEVER - because this is a project that I want people to use and enjoy (and I know it will be put on a tree, taken down and put away, brought out again next Christmas, etc. year after year - not something that is going to sit on a shelf forever) I used A LOT of adhesive on this project.  A LOT. I recommend you do the same.  :)

Flip the house over, center your door and window, and press to adhere.

Flip the house back over and apply scor-tape to the back of the door and window.

Cut two small pieces of textured vellum (or use the red cellophane that came in your kit) and cover door and window openings.

Apply Scor-Tape to the bottom of your house*.  I do not use liquid glue until later in the project because I HATE to wait for liquid glue to dry.  Using Scor-Tape allows me to put the project together quickly and then go back and "shore-up" any parts of the project that need liquid glue. 

*Line up the edge of your Scor-Tape with the front of your house, so the rest of the Scor-Tape is "hanging off" the back edge of the chipboard.

Use your finger to "roll" the Scor-Tape on to itself, making a thinner strip. It won't look pretty - but it will hold fabulously!

Repeat on ONE end of the house.

Fold house in to shape and adhere to your base.  I adhered mine pretty close to the back of the base, but I have seen them put on kitty-cornered and centered, so the choice is yours!

Repeat the Scor-Tape process on the roof edges of your house.

Insert the ornament holder in to your roof and apply to your house.

(photo of house with roof)

Use liquid glue to adhere your tree and Scor-Tape to adhere the fence to your base.

If you are applying a "plaque" to your house, print out your phrase in several different sizes.

Use distress ink to apply color to your phrases, cut out and determine which size works best with your house.

Use your craft knife to poke a small hole on either side of your paper.  Insert brads.

Fold both ends of your brads towards the center of your paper.

Use a small piece of foam tape in the center of your paper and adhere to the front of the house.

***HELPFUL TIP*** These chipboard houses ARE fragile.  If during the process you tear your chipboard along one of the score lines or feel like the Scor-Tape isn't secure enough, once your house is COMPLETED you can easily go back and fill in the gaps with liquid glue.  Apply the liquid glue to the affected area then sprinkle some glitter on the glue and tap off the excess.  It will strengthen your project AND cover up any small errors.  Thank God for glitter!  :)