Kid's Crafts - Mother's Day Photo Frame, Desk Organizers and Greeting Card

My grand daughter is almost 7 years old and loves to do arts and crafts. Every time she is over at my house we sit down and craft something together. Since Mother's Day is just around the corner, she wanted to make a few crafty projects for her mom, along with a Mother's Day greeting card.

Before I get started with our kid's craft projects, I first wanted to tell you about Yoobi who makes arts and craft supplies for children. Yoobi is based on a bright yet simple idea, colorful and vibrant supplies for school, home or office that give back! For every Yoobi item purchased, a Yoobi item will be donated to a classroom in need, right here in the U.S.! It's that simple.

Yoobi sent us several crafting supplies to help facilitate this project. They sent us some fabulous markers, twist-up crayons with storage case, a package of gel pens, glue sticks for paper crafting, stickers, self-inking roller stamp and a plastic photo frame. You'll see that we used a lot of these supplies from Yoobi to make the following projects.

To go along with these supplies, I went to the Dollar Store and purchased a set of 4 mini plastic storage bins for $1.00 and a package of flower shaped glitter foamies (20 are in one package). The rest of the supplies used were from my craft supply stash that I keep here at home.

First up, the Decorated Picture Frame! For this project we used the picture frame that was sent to us from Yoobi. To keep it simple for a 7 year old...my grand daughter arranged 3 of the glitter foamie flowers on one corner of the photo frame and glued them on with all-purpose craft glue (the kind that is in a bottle). After it was dry, we placed a photograph of her family inside the frame.

Next up is the Decorated Plastic Bins which she made for her mother's desk at work. These bins we got at the Dollar Store were 4 for $1.00 which makes them a great deal. Each one is 5" in length and they have little carrying handles. They are the perfect size for storing paperclips, staples, rubber bands, chalk, erasers and all of those "other" little things you need to organize on a work desk or a teacher's desk. For some of these she simply decorated them with stickers (from Yoobi) and for some of the other ones, she glued on those glittered foamie flower shapes we got at the Dollar Store.

For the Mother's Day Greeting Card, I did have to help her quite a bit with this. We used a blank pre-made greeting card/note card and decorated the front and back of it with a piece of lavender printed scrapbooking paper, cut-to-size. We used a pair of decorative edge scissors to trim just the front opening edge of the card into a scallop pattern. I had some pre-printed Mother's greeting cut-outs leftover from a scrapbooking project and we cut one of those down-to-size to fit on the front of the card. We matted it onto dark purple cardstock, trimmed around the edge leaving a 3/16" border. We added it to the front of the card using adhesive foam dots. To finish it up, I made a satin ribbon bow which she glued onto the front. Using markers & gel pens from Yoobi, she wrote her own message to her mother inside the card and drew some flowers in there to accent it.

You can learn more about the kid's arts and craft supplies from Yoobi by visiting their site online. We would also like to thank Yoobi for supplying us with craft supplies to make these projects.

Disclosure: We received complimentary arts & crafts supplies from the company featured in this post. No monetary compensation was received. Regardless of receiving supplies, our thoughts, words and opinions about these products are 100% our own, unbiased opinion. Your thoughts may differ.

Book Review: The Complete Photo Guide to Cardmaking

The Complete Photo Guide to Cardmaking is the ultimate resource on card making. All paper-crafting techniques that can be employed for card making are thoroughly explained, including a comprehensive description of paper types available, folding options and techniques, coloring and image transfer methods, and adding embellishments. Inside, you'll also find methods for using a computer to design and print cards. Enjoy a gallery that gives you lots of ideas and inspiration to create cards of your own, using the techniques you've learned.

Book Title: The Complete Photo Guide to Cardmaking
Author: Judi Watanabe
ISBN: 978-1-58923-882-4
Publisher: QuartoKnows.com

Expert paper crafter Judi Watanabe provides you with a one-stop reference for making cards for any occasion. This book includes step-by-step photographed instructions for a wide range of techniques, as well as projects to accompany each area of card making. Full of gorgeous cards, The Complete Photo Guide to Cardmaking explores a wide range of techniques and end products, making it a valuable reference for any crafter. So, when the mood strikes, you can use the artistry you've learned to create personalized greetings for everyone you know!

My Thoughts: I'm a big-time scrapbooker and paper crafter and I'm always looking for new and fresh ideas. This book is specifically made for those who are into cardmaking but the techniques and designs you learn from it...can be used in other paper crafting mediums too!

Within the pages of this book you'll find more than 800 full color photos and step-by-step instructions on how to make each card that is featured. There are variations included with most of the designs too. I love that the author gives you a supplies list with each project so that you'll know what supplies you'll need ahead of time. All of the supplies are readily available too!

There are projects for beginners, intermediate and expert cardmakers, definitely something for every skill level and design-taste. The author covers all different kinds of handcrafted greeting cards, from window cards, folded cards to money/gift cards and everything in-between. It's quite extensive and I love that she didn't forget about anything!

I'm super happy to have this book in my library collection. I'll be learning some new design skills and will be applying them to my cardmaking and scrapbooking projects. It my opinion, it's a definite must-have book if you're into cardmaking and/or scrapbooking.

Disclaimer: Shelly was provided with a complimentary copy of this book to review on her craft blog. No monetary compensation was received. Regardless, Shelly's thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own. Your opinion may differ.

Rolli Stamps by Funnybone Toys - Great for Kid's Crafts

I would love to introduce Rolli Stamps by Funnybone Toys- The ultimate arts and crafts stamps that are great for creating fun and unique stationery designs! Created for craft, hobby, and scrapbooking fans, these dynamic little rollers can create up to 100ft of continuous fun and creative patterns on almost any surface!

This is the ultimate stationery must-have, incorporating a one-of-a-kind design into every scrapbook project, holiday letters, notes, wrapping paper and more – they can even be used to decorate clothing items!

Rolli Stamps are great for children’s projects, do-it-yourself arts and crafts, and at home fun!

Rolli™ is a patented system with no messy ink pad which comes packaged in its own individual box at a price point of $11.99 each. Allowing you to create personalized stationary and stray away from pre-packaged boring patterns and designs sold in stores, Rolli™ is a great addition to any household, office, or arts and crafts studio.

With patterns ranging from shoes, French bulldogs, hearts and lace, to unique house designs, to tumbling hedgehogs and playful pugs, anyone is bound to find the perfect Rolli™ stamp for their upcoming project or personal use.

We were recently sent several of the Roll Stamps to try out for all of you for this sponsored review. All of the designs that we received are very versatile and can be used with a wide variety of different projects. I love that each one comes packaged in a little storage box with a see-through window. I can easily see what design the self-inking stamp will make.

I had a few of my nieces over to my home recently and they love to craft, especially paper crafts. I keep a box of all of my leftover cardmaking & scrapbooking supplies here in my home just for their crafting use.

They each picked out a few of the supplies from the box along with their favorite Rolli Stamps designs. After a few minutes, they each decided to craft up some little greeting cards for their friend's upcoming birthdays. One of the things we immediately loved about these little rolling stamps is that they are self-inking so they didn't need to fuss with messy ink pads & then have to clean traditional stamps for future use. The ink is self-contained in each stamp and each stamp design has a different colored ink.

After they constructed the fronts of their little greeting cards they got busy with the inside designs & sentiments. Instead of using patterned scrapbooking paper inside their greeting cards they used the Rolli Stamps to add the background design. They were able to do this within seconds...so they are very quick & easy to do. In addition, you don't have to be perfect when rolling them and actually, I think it looks quite nicely when the edges do overlap.

Another great bonus about the Rolli Stamps is that the ink dries super quickly. I was timing it and trust me, that ink is dry within a few seconds...not minutes! If you roll the stamps with heavy pressure the image is stamped darker. If you use light pressure the image will stamp lighter. So, you can control how light or dark you want your image to be.

I sat back and left the girls run wild with their creativity and I think they each did an awesome job with the cards that they made. Matter of fact, they each selected their favorite card for the photos in this blog post. Super fun!

Overall, I am really impressed with these little Rolli Stamps! They are great for kids to use and adults can have fun with them too! In a few weeks, I am going to try them out with some of my scrapbooking pages next.

You can learn more about Rolli Stamps from Funnybone Toys by visiting their site online.

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly was not compensated for her review but did receive a free product to evaluate for all of her blog readers here on the Passionate About Crafting Blog. Please read my Terms of Service Policy & Disclaimer Policy for additional information. My opinions stated in this product review are honest and unbiased. Your thoughts & opinions might differ from my own. Information contained on this blog is copyright 2014, All Rights Reserved.

How to Make a Folded Shirt Father's Day Card

Father's Day is a little over a week away and you still have plenty of time to make Dad a special Father's Day greeting card. Dads are very special and during this special day of the year...it is important that we recognize them and I always advocate homemade gifts for that occasion.

This homemade greeting card project and photograph are courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Here is how you can make dad a folded shirt Father's Day Card. Please see the disclosure at the bottom of this post for additional information.

Folded Shirt Father's Day Card

Materials Needed:

8 1/2-by-14-inch decorative paper
Glue

Place paper facedown. Fold in half vertically; unfold. Line up left edge with centerline fold, and crease; repeat with right edge. Unfold, and lay flat. Fold top-left corner in to line up with outermost crease, forming a triangle; repeat on top-right corner. Using index fingers and thumbs, pinch together outside points of each triangle so they meet, and crease.

While still pinching triangles, fold down top edge (this will make sleeves). Turn paper upside down, and flip it over. Fold down top edge 3/4 inch. Flip paper over. Fold top left and right corners so tips meet at centerline. Tuck bottom edge under collar, and flatten by creasing. For the tie, cut out an 8-by-1/2-inch strip of decorative paper. Knot paper. Snip close to knot on one side; trim other to a point. Glue to shirt.

Disclosure: Project courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia ©2014 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved. In order to help further support both the March of Dimes and Mom’s and Dad’s everywhere, please shop and donate through Father’s day at www.imbornto.com.

Retractable Gel Pens from Zebra Pen

This is a SPONSORED Review

Zebra Pen Corporation offers an extensive line of writing instruments including ball point pens, highlighters, mechanical pencils, gel rollers, rollerballs and correction pens. They stand behind their name and guarantee quality, satisfaction and an ultimate writing performance.

As a big crafter and scrapbooker, I am always on the hunt for some great pens for the paper crafts that I do. I was really excited to receive some new items to try out for all of you.

For the review I received the Sarasa Retractable Gel Pen Set which contained 14 different gel pens. They are the new evolutionary rapid dry ink gel pens that do not smear or smudge. They dry in less than one second on most surfaces.

The pens are available in 14 vibrant ink colors and in 3 point sizes. I received the medium point (0.7 mm) which I think is fantastic for scrapbooking, card making and other paper crafts. I just love the wide variety of colors that these pens come in. Super cute!

I decided to try them out while working on a scrapbook page and used one to do the journaling on the page. I loved how comfortable the pens feel in your hands and the ultra glide ink performance gave me smooth writing with absolutely no skipping or ink globs left onto my page. I really appreciate that these retractable pens dry instantly which means I can move along quickly while crafting.

Since receiving this set of pens for my review I have used them for all kinds of different things! I have used them while scrapbooking, making some homemade greeting cards, paper party favors and my grand daughter used them for a school project on her poster board. We love the colors, how quickly they dry and they really do help to improve your penmanship since there is no ink globs or skipping.

Overall, I LOVE my new set of retractable gel pens from Zebra Pen! I love them so much, that I want to get more so that I have plenty on hand for all of my paper crafting needs! They are the best gel pens I have ever used and absolutely perfect for paper crafting and/or school projects. A Must-Have in my crafting arsenal for sure!

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Passionate About Crafting Blog is not responsible for delivery/shipping of giveaway items won from this blog nor are we responsible for mis-use or injury caused by items won from this blog.

7 Crafty Ways to Use Leftover Christmas Gift Wrapping Paper

The Christmas holiday is now over and instead of throwing away all of that used gift wrap and scrap pieces of your holiday wrap...its time to put them to some good crafty use!

I am a frugal crafter and every year I bag up that torn gift wrap and toss it all into a bag with my small scrap piece. Then throughout the winter when I am stuck inside...I get into my bag and make some new crafty items for the next holiday season.

Here are 7 craft project ideas that you can do to use up all of that Christmas gift wrapping paper instead of tossing it away!

* Homemade Bookmarks - Takes those scraps and turn them into holiday bookmarks! Cut from cardboard or cardstock rectangular shapes that measure 1 3/4" by 6" in length. Use a hole puncher and punch a hole on one end. Cut the paper to measure the width and length of the cardstock and glue one piece onto each side. Use yarn or ribbon and thread through the hole to make a bow or tassel.

* Decoupage Vase - Save old clear glass vases and jars. Rip the scraps into odd shapes measuring no large than 3" in size. Use decoupage and adhere them to the outside of a glass vase or jar. Let dry and then cover with a top coat of the decoupage medium, let dry for 24 full hours. You now have a holiday vase or container for next year! If using jars, save the lids and use them for gifts in a jar!

* Gift Tags - From cardboard or cardstock cut pieces that measure 4" in size. Cut from gift wrap a piece that measures 4" in size. Use quick drying glue and a foam brush to adhere the paper to one side of the cardstock. Let dry. Fold the square in half or using a scoring tool to score it down the center, fold. Use a hole punch to turn it into a gift tag. Use scraps of ribbon or yarn through the hole so you can attach your new tags to package boxes or onto gift bags.

* Gift Bags - Purchase solid color gift bags at your local party supply store. Cut shapes and designs out of your scrap gift wrap and glue it onto the bags using a quick drying glue and a foam brush. Let dry for several hours. You can place your design just on the front of the bag or continue it around all four sides.

* Cardboard Boxes - Save all of your small and medium sized boxes along with their lids. Cut shapes and/or designs out of the gift wrap and glue them onto all sides and the lid of the box in a pleasing design using quick drying glue and a foam brush. Let dry. You now have pretty gift boxes for next year all ready to go!

* Tall Glass Candle Holders - Recycle or buy clear glass cylinder candle holders at your local dollar store. Use decoupage medium and a foam brush to glue on shapes, designs and patterns from the gift wrap onto the glass candle holder. Let dry. Use the decoupage medium to add a top coat across your design and let dry for 24 hours. You now have pretty holiday candle holders for next year.

* Scrapbooking & Cardmaking - Purchase a bottle of archival mist and lightly mist your scraps of Christmas gift wrapping paper. Let dry for 24 hours. You can now cut up those scraps and use them safely in your scrapbooks or use them in your cardmaking to make scrapbook layouts or new holiday cards.

Hope you enjoy these project ideas! If you have any other frugal craft project ideas or Trash to Treasure craft project ideas that you want to share with me and my readers, please feel free to leave me a comment below & I will contact you. Enjoy!

Cardmaking Tips for Beginners

When it comes to making your own handcrafted greeting cards, note cards and gift enclosure cards at home, you will need to go out and purchase some supplies and tools and this handy shopping checklist will help you get started. Some of the items listed on the checklist are "must haves" and others are "optional". When shopping, purchase what most important items first and then stock up on supplies when your craft store is running a good sale.

Cardmaking Tools:

Paper Trimmer or (Exacto Knife and Cutting Pad, made for scrapbooking)
Straight Edge Scissors (made for paper crafting)
Decorative Edge Scissors (we recommend at least two)
Eyelet Setter
1/8" and 1/4" Hole Punchers
Metal Edge Clear Ruler

Cardmaking Supplies:

* Blank Cardstock Cards w/envelopes (or make your own from cardstock)
* Self-Adhesive Stickers
* Adhesive (glue dots, glue sticks, self-adhesive foam dots & squares)
* (optional) Glitter Glue w/Fine Tip Nozzle (great for adding sparkle accents to your designs)
* Scrapbooking Paper and Cardstock (solids and prints)
* Ribbons, Ric Rac Trim and Fibers (various colors and prints)
* 3-Dimensional Embellishments (tiny charms, beads, sequins, tiny buttons, silk & paper flowers, etc.)
* Brads and Eyelets (if using eyelets you will need to purchase an eyelet setter tool)
* Rub-On or Self-Adhesive Wording, Phrases and Letters
* Rubber Stamps, Clear Stamps and Ink Pads (if you can afford it, purchase rubber stamp cleaner too)
* Scrapbooking Chalks: Primary Colors, Pastel Colors and Applicators
* Multi-Pack of Fine Tip and Medium Tip Scrapbooking Markers and Pens

Once you purchase your supplies, you will want to organize them and store them in plastic bins or on shelves in your designated crafting area. As you get more involved in cardmaking you should consider purchasing a die-cut machine so that you can make and cut out your own words, letters and embellishments. Purchasing a die-cut machine is a big investment and the decision to purchase one shouldn't be made lightly. However, if you stick to this crafting medium and want to expand your cardmaking abilities, we feel it is a good investment to make.

When you first start to make your own greeting cards, you will want to start off with quick and easy designs. As you get more experience you can try making harder and more time consuming designs. The more cards you make the better you get at making them. You can look through books and magazines for inspiration on design styles or check out the internet online. Happy Cardmaking!

DIY Valentine's Day Cards from Martha Stewart's Crafts

Looking for some quick & easy Valentine's Day homemade greeting card ideas? Well, check out these ideas that were sent over to us from Martha Stewart Crafts! I love that these are quick, simple and easy ideas, you could whip up several of them in just one afternoon! Thanks Martha! (see below for the ideas).

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, a homemade card is sweeter than fancy chocolates and more personal than blooming roses. And with Martha Stewart Crafts, unleashing your inner cupid is as easy as 1-2-3:

1. To express your heart’s desire, start with the utterly charming Martha Stewart Crafts “Stamp Card and Envelope Set” – it includes 18 scalloped edge note cards and matching envelopes with heart-accented labels so you can share your love with everyone you wish.

2. Add your personal stamp with the “Wood Stamp Valentine’s Day Hearts” set of 12 mini stamps nestled in a reusable wood crate.

3. Seal with a kiss…and with “Valentine Cupid” and “Valentine Cupcake” stickers. Yummy confections, cherub silhouettes, hearts and more Valentine icons shine with glitter and foil accents.

To make things even sweeter, you can save 20% at MarthaStewartCrafts.com now through Valentine’s Day (February 14th, 2013). Just enter coupon code BLOG20 at checkout.

How To Clean Acrylic Stamps & Stamping Blocks

For decades the only type of stamps you could purchase as a crafter were the cumbersome rubber stamps. Even though rubber stamps have their place in the crafts market, most crafter's and scrapbookers are using the new and modern clear acrylic stamps with their crafting projects.

The acrylic stamps and acrylic stamping blocks will last a crafter many years if they are properly taken care of it. Today, let's take a look at how you should be cleaning them and how you should be storing them.

Cleaning Acrylic Stamps & Acrylic Stamping Blocks:

When cleaning inks off of acrylic stamps it is best to purchase a cleaning product that is made specifically for acrylic stamps. You do not want to use household cleaning products to clean your stamps as those products are too harsh and can cause damage to your stamps.

Many different companies make acrylic stamp cleaners and while their ingredients may differ, all basically work the same way. You will want to clean your acrylic stamps while they are still on your acrylic stamping block and immediately after you are done using them. If you let the ink dry on the stamp, they will be harder to clean.

Apply the liquid cleaner onto the stamp and then use a soft cotton cloth or microfiber cloth to rub the liquid into the stamp. Once the ink has been removed, use another damp cloth to remove any residue and light towel dry. Do not use any scrubbing brushes to remove stubborn ink stains as those brushes can cause scratched and damage your stamps.

If your acrylic stamp is losing some of it's stickiness, apply 1 to 2 drops of liquid dish soap onto a dampened cotton cloth and wipe the cloth over the acrylic stamp. This will help your stamp to get it's sticky properties back.

The acrylic stamp block can be cleaned with acrylic stamp cleaner or you can clean with it with some mild liquid dishwashing soap. Once it has been cleaned, towel dry or air dry before putting it away.

Storing Acrylic Stamps and Acrylic Stamping Blocks:

Crafter's all seem to have different ways of storing their acrylic stamps and you can find a variety of products out in the marketplace to make it easier. For me personally, I have a big photo storage box and place all of my acrylic stamps inside it in packages that are designed to hold them. I them label them and alphabetize them for easy storage. You can also purchase 3-ring binders, storage bins, plastic envelopes, etc. that are made for acrylic stamp storage. Before putting your stamps away, always make sure they are completely dry.

The best way I have found to store acrylic stamping blocks in is a plastic mesh basket that I keep sitting on my craft shelf. I can easily see my different sized and shaped blocks inside it and get them out quickly and easily. Do not store your blocks in moisture-rich environments and protect them from extreme temperatures.

Different Elements of Greeting Cards Design

Different Elements of Greeting Cards Design
By Harsin Carter

Greeting Cards are pieces of folded paper having images or text on the front (cover) and a message inside. Though these cards are available with different variations and designs, but they usually follow similar layout plan. They have 3 parts or elements - a front side, a back side and inside. For designing these cards, one has to take care of each of these elements.

1. Front Side - When designing front side of the card, one can use an image or text or a mixture of images and text. The card maker software library has a plethora of images to be selected for designing greetings. One can select suitable images to set the desired tone of the card, like serious, funny, playful or romantic, depending upon the occasion. The front side has to be designed with due care, since it is the first to grab the attention of the viewer.

2. Inside - The inside of the card can be kept blank for one's own message or can be designed with images or a simple message (like Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary) can be given. There can also be some poem, some quotation or any punch line for a joke included inside the card.

Extra Inside Panels - Some cards have many panels, instead of having only one fold. They may have gate folds or accordion folds, in order to include a large amount of photos and text.

Extra Inside Pages - Some cards can look like small booklets in order to tell a story or an extensive message.

3. Back Side - When the cards are bought from the market, their back side contains the name of the manufacturer of the card, copyright notice, and logo and contact details. However, when one designs a card for his or her own use with a greeting card software, the back side can be left blank or can be decorated according to one's own wish.

Optional Elements of Greeting Cards

Embellishments - The cards made by hand or with the help of software can be embellished with charms, ribbons, glitter and other items to make them more beautiful and personalized.

Sound - These days, some greetings also incorporate sound.

Tabs or Pop-ups - The greetings may also have tabs or pop-ups which the receiver pulls to read the message. These are generally included in kids' cards or romantic cards.

All these elements of the card can be designed easily with the help of greeting card maker.

Harsin Carter loves to write about greeting cards and their importance on various occasions. He emphasizes on using perfect greeting card maker for creating photo greeting cards.

Using Archival Mist in Your Paper Crafting Projects

Are you looking for a way to add non acid-free paper items to your scrapbooks, greeting cards, invitations and altered paper art projects? If so, Archival Mist is your answer and is the perfect solution when you want to add the following objects into your scrapbooking and crafting projects:

* ticket stubs
* travel maps
* brochures & pamphlets
* newspaper clippings & articles
* school artwork and report cards from the kids
* sport programs & play programs
* copies of birth certificates or wedding licenses
* paper documents, receipts, etc.

Tip: Never use your original important documents, always make a photocopy of them first!

You can use Archival Mist in any setting, you do not need special ventilation, gloves or face masks. It is a non-toxic and safe alkaline buffer that will help to protect your non acid-free mementos from damage that occurs to paper naturally over the years. Archival Mist is specifically made for paper items, so don't mist it on metal findings, leather, fibers, lace, fabrics, etc.

To use it: Lay down a scrap piece of paper onto your work surface, do not use newspaper as the inks from the newspaper can bleed onto your paper items! Lay the item you want to mist on top of the scrap paper and hold the Archival Mist bottle a few inches away. Lightly mist the front side and let it air dry. Flip the item over and lightly mist the back side and let it air dry.

Once it is fully dry, you can use your new preserved paper piece in your scrapbooks, in cards or any other type of crafting project that you may be working on!

How To Properly Clean Rubber Stamps

I use rubber stamps in a lot of my crafting projects from scrapbooking to cardmaking and I had to learn the hard way on how to properly clean my rubber stamps. If you don't take the time to clean them each and every time you use them, they will not last long! In addition, you won't get as nice stamped images from dirty and worn out stamps as you get when you use clean and properly cared for rubber stamps.

Here is how you should be cleaning your rubber stamps and you need to do it after each use!

After using your rubber stamp it is important to grab a scrap piece of paper and stamp off as much ink as possible. Once you have completed that, grab a baby wipe and wipe down all sides of the rubber stamp to remove as much ink and/or paint as possible.

For the next part of the cleaning process you will need two clean cotton cloths, liquid dishwashing soap and some water. Place one to two drops of liquid dish soap onto your rubber stamp and rub your fingers over the stamp while holding it under running water. It is best to not submerge your rubber stamps! Once you have removed the ink, rinse completely and then towel dry with the second cotton cloth. If you decide to let your rubber stamp air-dry, it is best to keep the rubber part facing up and the wooden or plastic handle (back part) facing down on the cotton cloth.

The Don'ts: You should never use harsh chemical cleaning products on rubber stamps as they can cause the rubber to split, crack and craze. Do not use toothbrushes or other types of scrubbing brushes to scrub your stamps as they can damage the surface. You should never store your rubber stamps in moisture-rich or severely dry environments and you should always protect them from extreme heat, cold and direct sunlight.

Expert Advice on Addressing Wedding Invitation Envelopes

Expert Advice on Addressing Wedding Invitation Envelopes by JoDitt Williams

You start to critique your handwriting, then you decide that the basic blue or black ink won't do and don't forget the added cost of postage. Here are a few tips to help you with this very important, often under estimated task!

Here are a few tips to help you ease into the addressing task!

1. Addressing the Wedding Invitation Envelopes -

There is a misconception that the cheapest route is to address your own envelopes. However, you may not realize just how long it will actually take you. It may take you so long that you take off work or skip class in order to get them finished. Or, if you are a perfectionist, you may end of throwing away half of your envelopes because they weren’t perfect. It’s possible that the whole process could get you so stressed out that you end up sick at the doctor’s office, missing work or other important engagements, which could cost you money and time. All this can easily be avoided by outsourcing the addressing of your envelopes. On the other hand, if you have plenty of time and writing addresses relaxes you, then by all means, save a little money and do it yourself.

If calligraphy is out of your budget range, consider having them printed using either the same font as is used on your invitation,or a font that looks similar to calligraphy. Or get someone who has nice, legible handwriting to do them for you.

2. Return address printing-

Sometimes return address printing is included in the price of your wedding invitations. If you choose to have your addresses done in calligraphy, you would not want the return address printed on the envelope. You would want the return address to be done in calligraphy as well. In that case, check to make sure that you are not paying for a service that you do not need.

3. Printed response card envelopes-

Likewise, do not assume that printing your address on your response/RSVP envelopes (or on the back of a response postcard) is included in the price. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t. Just make sure if it isn’t included that you can add it for a reasonable price.

4. Lined inner envelopes-

Wedding etiquette no longer requires you to include inner

envelopes. Many brides see this as an unnecessary expense,especially if they are using contemporary style and/or pocket fold type invitations. If you do use inner envelopes, hand-write the names on the envelopes. Never use printing or labels on inner envelopes.

5. Assembly-

What is the proper way to place your wedding invitation and all of your inserts into the wedding invitation envelope? Does the wedding invitation go on top? Or does the RSVP card go on top? Where do you put the map? There are a lot of differing opinions about this. But it becomes quite easy if you choose a pocket style wedding invitation. Pocket Wedding Invitations are constructed so that the main wedding invitation is glued or taped to one panel and then all of the inserts stack neatly on top of one another inside the pocket. Assembly also includes gluing/taping layered invitations, placing inserts into the pockets on pocket style invitations and adding embellishments like ribbons, jewels, charms, etc. Some invitation prices include assembly and some do not, so be sure to find out before ordering.

Assembly usually does not require a lot of skill, so if you have time to assemble your own invitations, it’s a great way to save a few bucks. Or, if you don’t have time to do them all yourself,invite your bridesmaids over for an “Invitation Assembly Party” and get them all done in one day!

Once you've picked the perfect wedding invitation, take it one step further and make sure that you have the perfectly addressed envelope, after all the envelope is what your loved ones see first!

JoDitt Williams, known as "Your Custom Card Lady," is an invitation designer and the owner of Joyful Heart Design, an online custom wedding invitation boutique. JoDitt welcomes you to visit her website to view the most up-to-date customizable invitations on the market. Please visit http://www.oohandaahweddinginvites.com/

Tutorial | Xyron 5" Creative Station Machine | Make Your Own Stickers!

I have been crafting for over 25+ years and one of my favorite crafting mediums is scrapbooking! I have an entire room set up in my home devoted to just that...scrapbooking! One of my favorite and MUST HAVE products is the Xyron 5" Creative Station machine. This is actually the second one that I own and I just love it!!! You can create your own stickers, magnets and laminate your own items yourself and do so inexpensively.
Today I thought I would show the newbie scrapbookers how easy this Xyron machine is to use. When you purchase one it will come loaded with adhesive and you can purchase refill rolls of the adhesive as you need it. Today...I cut out some letters using my Cricut from pink cardstock and I am turning them into stickers for a scrapbooking layout.
Once you have your item ready to go...you simply feed them into the front of the machine. You will want to make sure they are flat so that they go in the machine smoothly. I feed mine in carefully two at a time (2" sized letters) to save space on the adhesive sheet.
Once you start feeding them in, slowly turn the handle on the side so that it moves them into the machine and onto the adhesive sheet. Continue feeding your items into the machine and turning the handle after each addition until all of your items are in and you can see them coming out the back side of the machine. There is a metal rigid cutter on the back (like what you find on aluminum foil packages) and simply just rip your strip of stickers off.
Now your stickers are ready to be peeled from the adhesive sheet and used in your scrapbooking layouts or on your cards. I also like to place them on gift bags and gift wrap. See...wasn't that easy? Investing in the Xyron 5" Creative Station Maker is a huge savings on purchasing pre-made stickers and it saves you a lot of time by making your own!

Have fun crafting and scrapbooking ~ Shelly

Cardmaking ~ Mother's Day Cards Stitched with Love

Mother's Day Cards Stitched with Love by Rachel Paxton

This Mother's Day, make your mom a homemade Mother's Day card she

will treasure forever. These two card designs are very easy and

will only take you about an hour to make. Using your sewing machine to add accent stitching will give your card an extra homemade touch.

Materials:

Blank greeting card
Scrapbooking paper with floral pattern
Two coordinating solid colored pieces of scrapbooking paper
Creme or white colored paper
Coordinating ribbon
"Mother's Day" rubber stamp
Floral rubber stamp
Ink pad
Paper cutter
Scissors
Glue stick
Glue dots
Sewing machine
Coordinating thread

Note: For my cards I chose yellow daisies for my floral print and gold, brown, and white for my coordinating papers. My ribbon was light brown with dark brown polka dots and I chose gold ink for my rubber stamps and gold thread for my accent stitching.

Card #1:

This card will open horizontally. Cut a piece of the floral print paper to fit the front of the greeting card, and glue it in place. For the left hand side of the card, cut a white piece of paper into the shape of a small rectangle (horizontal) and stamp "Happy Mother's Day" in the center*. Mat this piece with slightly larger rectangles of the two coordinating solid colored pieces of scrapbook paper. With your sewing machine, stitch along the inside of the white rectangle**.

For the right hand side of the card, cut a white piece of paper into the shape of a slightly larger rectangle (vertical) and stamp your floral stamp in the center. Mat this piece with the same two coordinating solid colored pieces of scrapbook paper. With your sewing machine, stitch along the inside of the white rectangle.

* You can vary the sizes and orientations of the rectangles depending upon the sizes of your rubber stamps.

** Before you begin stitching, practice on scratch paper first. You may need to adjust the tension to stitch on paper.

Arrange the two rectangles next to each other on the card, slightly angled away from each other, and glue in place.

Cut a piece of ribbon the width of the card. Glue in place with glue dots about an inch from the bottom of the card. Cut another piece of ribbon and tie into small bow. Use a couple of glue dots to glue the bow near the right end of the other ribbon, about an inch from the right hand side of the card.

Card #2:

This card will also open horizontally. Cut a piece of the solid colored scrapbook paper to fit the front of the card, and glue it in place. Cut a slightly smaller piece of the floral scrapbook paper, center it, and glue in place.

For the center of the card, cut a small horizontal rectangle from white paper. Stamp "Happy Mother's Day" in the center of the white rectangle. Glue this piece onto a slightly larger piece of coordinating solid colored paper. Use sewing machine to stitch along the inside of the white rectangle. Center this piece in the center of the card and glue in place.

Cut two pieces of ribbon to fit the height and width of the floral paper. Using glue dots, secure one ribbon vertically about a half inch from the right side of the floral paper. Secure other ribbon horizontally about half inch from the top

edge of the floral paper. Cut another piece of ribbon and tie into a small bow. Use a couple of glue dots to secure the bow at the intersection of the other two ribbons.

Happy Mother's Day!

Photos of finished Mother's Day cards:
http://www.crafty-moms.com/cards/stitched-mothers-day-cards.shtml

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit http://www.crafty-moms.com/

Cardmaking: Four Homemade Mother's Day Cards to Make

Four Homemade Mother's Day Cards to Make by Rachel Paxton

There is nothing as special or personal as a homemade Mother's Day card. Surprise your friends and family with your handmade creations. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Materials:

Four blank greeting cards (available at craft stores), scrapbooking paper with floral pattern, coordinating solid piece of scrapbooking paper, creme or white colored cardstock (whichever matches other papers best), paper cutter, scissors, glue stick, computer, printer, sewing machine.

Card #1:

For this card you will need a floral piece of scrapbooking paper, a coordinating piece of solid colored scrapbooking paper, and a piece of white or creme colored cardstock. Cut a piece of the solid colored paper to fit the front of the greeting card and glue it in place. Cut an approximately 2-inch strip of the floral paper and glue on lefthand side of card as a border. Use your sewing machine to stitch* along the righthand side of the floral border and around the outside edge of the card. Cut a large square out of creme colored or white card stock and glue to the center of the card. Type "Happy Mother's Day" on your computer and print out on white or creme colored cardstock. Cut out the phrase (narrow strip) and glue to the bottom of the square in the center of the card. Choose a flower from the floral paper and trim to fit in the center of the square on the front of the card. Glue in place.

* Stitching tips: If you have never used your sewing machine to make cards, it is easy! Just sew on the paper like you would on fabric. You might want to reserve a needle just for paper so you don't dull the needle for your fabric projects. There are two ways you can include stitching in your card making projects. You can either stitch directly on the card, or you can stitch on a separate piece of paper and then glue that piece to the card (then the stitching won't show through the card).

Card #2:

This Mother's Day card is quick and easy. Cut a piece of the solid colored scrapbooking paper to fit three-quarters of the front of the card. Carefully tear along the righthand edge of the paper and glue the paper in place. Next cut a piece of floral paper to fit half of the front of the card. Carefully tear along the righthand edge of the paper and glue on top of the solid colored piece of paper. Type "Happy Mother's Day" on your computer and print it on white or cream colored paper. Mat the cut-out phrase first on a piece of the solid colored paper, then glue to front of card. Stitch around the outside of the card if you wish, but it isn't necessary.

Card #3:

This card will open horizontally. Cut three approximately 3-inch strips of paper to fit width of card: two floral and one solid colored. Tear bottom edges of each piece. Beginning at top of card overlap the three pieces with floral paper first and glue in place. Cut a large square from the cream or white colored paper and glue it in the center of the card. Cut a slightly smaller square of solid colored paper and glue in center of cream colored piece. Type "Happy Mother's Day" on your computer. Print on cream or white colored paper, trim, and glue in the center of solid colored square. Stitch around the edge of the card, if you wish.

Card #4:

This card will open horizontally. Tear a rectangle from the solid colored paper and glue near top of card. Type "Happy Mother's Day" on your computer and print on white or creme colored paper. Trim and glue to center of solid colored paper. Tear another piece of solid colored paper (larger than first) to glue across the bottom of the card. Cut a rectangle from floral paper and glue to center of bottom piece of solid colored paper. If you wish you can accent edges of floral rectangle with coordinating eyelets.

Notes: - The terms "card stock" and "paper" are used interchangably here, but it is up to you which kind of paper you use, depending on the look you are trying to achieve - A sewing machine isn't necessary for this project, it is just a nice added touch - You don't have to use your computer for this project, you can handwrite the words if you wish.

Happy Mother's Day!

Photos of finished Mother's Day cards: http://www.crafty-moms.com/cards/mothers-day-cards.shtml

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit http://www.crafty-moms.com/.

Cardmaking: Quick & Easy Mother's Day Card Ideas

I love making handmade cards for Mother's Day because I can make them all pretty with girly embellishments, ribbons and flowers! This past Mother's Day I made two quick and easy cards for my mother and mother-in-law and each card took me less than 30 minutes to make. I won't go into lengthy details on how I made them but will give you a brief overview. Please refer to the pictures for more details.

For the card above I used a premade purple striped greeting card with a scalloped edge. I then cut out a "mother" sentiment that was pre-printed onto white cardstock and matted that onto dark purple cardstock. I left a 1/4" border on my matting. I then used a couple of self-adhesive foam dots and attached it to the front of the card. Inside the card I handstamped a Mother's Quote using a rubber stamp and purple ink pad.

For the second card I covered the front and back of the card with muted seafoam green print paper using a glue stick. I then cut a MOM sentiment from white cardstock and matted that onto matching seafoam green paper and then onto solid green cardstock. I trimmed it down leaving an 1/8" border around each mat. I then attached it to the front of my card using self-adhesive foam dots. At the bottom of the card I attached a seafoam green ribbon with glue dots and then glued on a matching ribbon bow.

Like I said...they are super quick and easy and make for a great beginner's project!

Cardmaking ~ Quick and Easy Handmade Easter Greeting Cards

Are you looking for some quick, easy and affordable handmade Easter greeting card ideas? If so, I have two greeting card designs that I would like to share with you today. This project would be great to make with older children, scouting troops, church youth groups, paper craft groups and with school groups.

We made these cards with 10-14 year old girls for them to give to their parents for Easter. Once they were done making them they were very proud of their creations. If you don't own a Cricut Die Cutting Machine (used to cut the ovals and lettering) you can hand draw and cut out various sized oval shapes and you can purchase letter stickers at your local arts and crafts store.

We used the Cricut George and Basic Shapes Cartridge for these projects.

Supplies Needed:

4" by 5" blank cardstock note cards with envelopes
various scrapbooking papers (prints and solids)
decorative edge scissors and regular edge scissors
adhesives - glue dots, glue sticks and glue pens
various colored scrapbooking fine tip markers and pens
*optional ink pads and Easter sentiments rubber stamps

For these 2 designs we also used self-stick plastic scrapbooking mesh in mint green and self-stick round purple rhinestones.

For Card Number One: (shown above)

Cover the front of your card with pink scrapbooking paper that was cut to fit. Using the Cricut set on the number one size setting and using the Cricut Georges Basic Shapes Cartridge we cut out eight ovals from different colored papers. Using the same cartridge turn your dial to the shadow option and cut out four more ovals (we used dark blue paper) as these will serve as the base for your eggs. Using your glue stick, glue a smaller oval on top of each larger oval to serve as your Easter egg. Using decorative scissors, cut a part the remaining four smaller ovals into various widths. Using a glue pen, glue the cut up pieces onto the eggs and let dry. (about 5-10 minutes). If desired...use various colored markers to add polka dots and squiggles to your eggs to decorate them even further. Using glue dots, attach each egg to the greeting card near the top and going horizontally across the front. Using the Cricut Georges Basic Shapes Cartridge set your dial to the number two size setting. Cut out the letters E A S T E R from medium blue scrapbooking paper. Cut out a strip from white scrapbooking paper that measures 2" by 5" in size and glue it to a piece of dark blue scrapbooking paper that is cut slightly larger than your white strip. We used decorative edge scissors to add interest to the design. Glue this strip onto the lower half of your card. Using a glue pen glue each letter to the white base strip to spell out the word EASTER. If desired...use a ink pad and rubber stamp to stamp a sentiment inside or write your own message.
For Card Number Two: (Shown Above)

Cover the front of your card with pink scrapbooking paper. Using a piece of self-adhesive plastic mesh in a mint green color, attach that to the center front. Use blue self-stick letters (in this case we spelled out the word EASTER) and place those right above the mesh strip. Using the Cricut Die Cutting Machine and the Georges Basic Shapes cartridge, cut out two purple ovals on the 2 1/2 size setting and on the shadow effect, cut out one medium blue oval on the same setting. These three ovals will serve as your base for the eggs. Using the same 2 1/2 size setting cut out six to seven more ovals from various colored scrapbooking papers. Glue one of these ovals onto each of the larger ovals that you first cut out. Using wavy edge decorative scissors, cut a part the remaining smaller ovals. Use a glue pen or a glue stick and use those pieces to decorate your egg bases. Once done, use glue dots to attach your eggs on top of the plastic mesh strip. We decided to decorate the egg in the center with little purple self-stick rhinestones to add decorative interest to it. Using an ink pad and rubber stamp, stamp your sentiment inside or handwrite your own message.

There you have it...two quick and easy handmade Easter theme'd greeting cards that you can make with older children or even make them yourself. Happy Crafting!

Four Homemade Valentine's Day Cards to Make

Four Homemade Valentine's Day Cards to Make by Rachel Paxton

There is nothing as special or personal as a homemade Valentine's Day card. Surprise your friends and family with your handmade creations. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Materials:

Four blank greeting cards (available at craft stores), dark red piece of scrapbooking paper, white piece of cardstock, cream colored piece of cardstock, red and white gingham piece of scrapbooking paper, paper cutter, scissors, glue stick, computer, printer, sewing machine.

Card #1:

For this card you will need a dark red piece of scrapbooking paper, a red and white gingham piece of scrapbooking paper (or other coordinating piece of paper), and a piece of white cardstock. Cut a piece of the dark red paper to fit the front of the greeting card and glue it in place. The dark red is the background of the card. Cut two strips of the gingham paper, approximately an inch and a half wide. Cut them to the width of the card (this card will open horizontally). Tear a freehand heart from the gingham paper, large enough to fill up approximately three quarters of the entire card. Next glue the strips of gingham paper to the front of the card with space in between them. The idea is that there is a "strip" of gingham, a strip of red, a strip of gingham, and then a strip of red. Use your sewing machine to stitch* along the edges of the strips of gingham paper, and then stitch around the edge of the card. Glue the heart in the middle of the card. Type "Happy Valentine's Day" on your computer and print out on white cardstock. Cut out the phrase (narrow strip) and glue to the center of the heart.

* Stitching tips: If you have never used your sewing machine to make cards, it is easy! Just sew on the paper like you would on fabric. You might want to reserve a needle just for paper so you don't dull the needle for your fabric projects. There are two ways you can include stitching in your card making projects. You can either stitch directly on the card, or you can stitch on a separate piece of paper and then glue that piece to the card (then the stitching won't show through the card).

Card #2:

This Valentine's Day card is quick and easy. Cut a piece of dark red paper to fit the front of your blank card and glue it in place. Type "Happy Valentine's Day" on your computer and print it on the cream colored paper. Mat the cut-out phrase first on a dark red piece of paper, and then mat that piece on another piece of cream colored cardstock to create a layered look. This card will open horizontally, so turn it in that direction and glue the Valentine's sentiment to the top third of the card. For the bottom portion of the card cut three small freehand hearts from the dark red paper. Glue these hearts to three torn scraps (in the shapes of squares) of cream colored paper. Space these pieces across the bottom of the card and glue in place. Stitch around the outside of the card and around the "Happy Valentine's Day" if you wish, but it isn't necessary.

Card #3:

This card is made from a dark red piece of paper and a cream colored piece of paper. Cut a piece of the dark red paper to fit the front of your blank card and glue it in place. Cut a large square from the cream colored paper and glue it just above the center of the card. Glue the piece of paper in place. Tear a large heart from the dark red paper and glue it in the center of the cream colored square. Type "Happy Valentine's Day" on your computer. Print on cream colored paper and glue in the center of the heart. Stitch around the cream colored square and the edge of the card, if you wish.

Card #4:

This card is made from a dark red piece of paper, the gingham paper, and white card stock. This card will open horizontally. Cut a piece of the dark red paper to fit the front of your blank card and glue it in place. Cut two strips of gingham paper and glue them to the top and bottom of the card so that there is a red strip in between. Cut three freehand hearts from the gingham paper and space them out in the red portion of the card. Glue them in place. Type "Happy Valentine's Day" on your computer and print on white paper. Cut out into a narrow strip (narrower than hearts) and glue in the center of the card on top of the hearts.

Notes: - The terms "card stock" and "paper" are used interchangably here, but it is up to you which kind of paper you use, depending on the look you are trying to achieve - A sewing machine isn't necessary for this project, it is just a nice added touch - You don't have to use your computer for this project, you can handwrite the words if you wish.

Photos of finished Valentine's Day cards: http://www.crafty-moms.com/valentines-day-cards.shtml

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit http://www.crafty-moms.com/.

Cardmaking - How To Make 3 Pretty Valentine's Day Note Cards

Are you looking to make your own greeting cards for Valentine's Day? If so, I have 3 great handmade greeting card ideas to share with you. To make each of these note cards you will need just a few basic craft supplies that you can purchase at any local craft supply store. Each of these design's were made on a blank 5 1/2" by 4" card stock note card and take less than 20 minutes each to make.

Materials Needed:

5 1/2" wide by 4" high blank note cards with envelopes
2 sheets of 8 1/2" by 11" scrapbooking paper in Valentine's Day designs
1/2 sheet solid pink scrapbooking paper
1/4" by 12" long piece of pink & red print ribbon
1/2" by 5 1/2" piece of purple & pink ribbon
4 foam glue dots
sentiment rubber stamps and black or red ink pad
scalloped edge scissors and straight edge scissors
stickers and 3-d embellishments to decorate your cards
glue stick and liquid glue pen (adhesives)
cutting mat and knife

Design #1: My Heart Belongs To You (shown above)

Using a piece of patterned paper (in this case, it's a heart pattern) cut it down to measure 5 1/2" by 3 1/4" in size. Use your scalloped edge scissors to cut one long edge on the paper to make it scalloped. Cut a piece of solid pink paper to measure 5 1/2" by 1" in size. Use your scalloped edge scissors and cut on long edge on the paper to make it scalloped. Using those same scissors, cut the front long edge of your note card to make the edge scalloped. Using your glue stick, glue down the solid pink strip onto your card leaving 1/4" of the white card front showing. Use the glue stick to glue the large printed piece of paper on top, leaving 1/2" of the solid pink piece of paper showing. For this card I applied a 3-D embellishment that says Forever to the lower 2/3 of my card front. Above that I used a clear backing sticker that says "My Heart Belongs To You". I cut a piece of solid light red paper that measures 5 1/2" by 4" in size and glued that inside. I then had a rubber stamp that has a romantic saying on it and hand stamped that inside on the red paper.
Design #2: I Love You

From my patterned heart paper I cut a block that measures 5 1/2" wide by 3 3/4" high. I trimmed one long edge with the scalloped scissors and attached it to the front of the card with a glue stick. Using a liquid glue pen or glue dots, attach your choice of ribbon 1/2 way down the card running horizontally across the front. I made my own 3-D embellishment from a heart shaped I Love You sticker that I attached to red card stock and trimmed it down leaving a very tiny red edge surrounding it. I then used 4 foam dots to attach it to the front, centering it on the ribbon. I left the inside blank on this one so that I could write my own message.
Design #3: Love Hearts

From my patterned heart paper that has the printed words of LOVE and XOXO on it...I cut a block that measures 5 1/2" by 4" to completely cover my card front. I then attached the paper to the front with a glue stick. I cut my ribbon to measure 1/4" by 5 1/2" and tacked that down near the bottom edge with my liquid glue pen. I cut another piece of ribbon measuring 5" long and tied it into a bow and tacked that onto the center of the ribbon trim with a glue dot. I had 2 heart shaped 3-D embellishments made out of red and white felt that I attached to the upper right and bottom left of the card front to add accent. Using a rubber stamp and red ink, I hand stamped my sentiment inside.

This craft project, instructions, article, etc. is written by Shelly Hill, copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved. You can not reprint this information or use my photo's without my permission nor without my official author's bio. You can obtain my permission and bio by emailing me. Please see my Terms of Service Policy for email address. Thanks!