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.

Kid's Craft Supplies from Yoobi

Two to three times every month I get together with my 6 1/2 year old grand daughter and whip up some quick & easy crafts. We've been holding our "crafting dates" for the past 2 years and she really loves spending that time with me.

We go through a LOT of kid's craft supplies and were pretty excited when Yoobi sent us a complimentary box of children's craft supplies to use with some of our Valentine's Day craft projects.

Yoobi is based on a bright yet simple idea: colorful, vibrant supplies for school, home or office that give to classrooms in need. For every Yoobi item purchased, Yoobi contributes a Yoobi item to a classroom in need, right here in the U.S. You can visit their site to learn more about the company and to see the products that they make.

Here is what we received in our box:

* Scissors
* Metallic Heart Shaped Glitter Confetti
* White School Glue
* Heart Shaped Erasers
* Washable Markers
* Crayons
* Dark Pink Folder
* Light Pink and Light Lavender Paper
* Animal Stickers & Temporary Tattoos
* Bright Pink Pen Cup (Pen/Pencil Holder)
* Self-Inking Roller Stamp (Cupcake Design)
* Pink Heart-Shaped Rubber Bands

The Princess has a Valentine's Day party at school and one at her next Girl Scout's meeting and needed a card box to collect all of her Valentine's Day cards in. You know what I'm talking about, kid's exchange all of those little greeting cards and need something to put them all in. We call them Valentine's Day Card Keepsake Boxes.

We sat down and decided to use our new craft supplies to decorate a pink and purple box for Valentine's Day. It's the perfect size to hold all of her little cards from both of her upcoming parties. She's 6 1/2 years old and I think she did a fabulous job at decorating the inside and outside of her new keepsake box!

After we were done with the box, she decided that she wanted to make a homemade Valentine's Day card for her mom (my daughter) and she made that entire card from the paper that they sent, used the markers, glue, self-inking roller stamp in the cupcake design and stickers. Again, I think she did a fabulous job and I love watching her get creative!

We still have a lot of craft supplies left that Yoobi sent to us for this review and we look forward to using them in future craft projects. Matter of fact, we will share some kid's craft projects with you right here on the blog in the coming weeks!

Disclosure: Shelly received complimentary kid's crafting supplies from Yoobi for this blog post. No monetary compensation was received.

Creative Options Introduces a Tote-All Craft Experience this Holiday Season

With the holidays fast approaching, Creative Options®, the leader in craft and storage organization, is ready to help crafters unleash their creativity by housing and organizing their holiday creations. From molded organizers to soft sided bags, their line of stylish totes combine smart design and versatility, making them the perfect gift for seasoned crafters, DIY divas and budding artists.

Creative Options® craft storage products offer a fashionable, affordable tote for any craft activity, and are available in a variety of popular prints.

Scrapbooking:

Total Tote in Vineyard MSRP $39.99 – Hybrid construction combines the look of a soft-sided organizer with the rigid body of a Creative Options® molded product, resulting in a clever storage that keeps its shape. Featuring a removable center wall for diverse storage options, a zippered take-away pouch, elastic loops and pockets for pens or tools, it’s perfect for storing scissors, stamps, punches, tape, cards and much more. The vinyl take-away pouch and detachable center make it “tote-ally” versatile.

Jewelry and Beading:

Tapered Tote in Viva La Pink MSRP $19.99 – A must-have for the stylish jewelry maker or beader on the go, this fashionable tote features a flip top, soft carrying handles and enough room to stash supplies while traveling. Its spacious pink interior has French memo-board-style elastics in the lid and a zippered take away pouch that perfectly protects loose odds and ends.

Knitting:

Knitting Needle Roll-Up Tote in Bliss MSRP $8.78 – Created specifically for storing needles, this versatile bag rolls into a cylinder, with two sturdy ribbons to keep tools safe and secure. Ample pockets keep knitting items separate and a top zipper opens to a larger pocket that lines the entire bag.

Crocheting:

Crochet Tote in Viva La Pink MSRP $34.99 – A crocheter’s dream, this stylish tote features grommets in each side and two carrying handles, making it perfect for holding and toting up to three skeins of yarn, needles and more.

General Crafting/Multi-Purpose: (shown below)

Large Signature 5-Pocket Tote MSRP $49.99 – Nominated for the 2015 The Craft & Hobby Association Hot Product Award! This multipurpose bag is everything! It features five exterior pockets, elastic bands that hold crafting tools and knitting essentials, alongside a wide-open inner compartment. A versatile carryall, it’s perfect for holding skeins or yarn, art projects and notebooks—everything you need to stay organized at home and on the go. Made of easy-to-clean, durable polyester, it coordinates with other “Andee Cool” Creative Options® soft fabric and molded organizers.

My Thoughts: I am a big time crafter...hence why I have a 6 year old crafting blog! For this review I received the Creative Options® Signature 5 Pocket Knitting Tote to check out for all of you. I admit, I am not into knitting but I am heavily into scrapbooking, crochet and general crafting. Matter of fact, I belong to several craft groups here in my area and I'm always looking for totes & organizers so I can take my supplies and projects with me!

The Creative Options® Signature 5 Pocket Knitting Tote is absolutely fantastic! The outside of the bag has 3 large front pockets and a mesh netting pocket on each of the short sides. To make the bag easy to tote around...there are 2 carrying handles which are securely fastened to the bag. Underneath the bag is 4 plastic feet which help it to remain upright when you set it down. Also on the front of the bag right above the left front pocket are 4 elastic strap bands where you can store pens, markers, glue pens, knitting needles, crochet hooks or other slender-style items.

The inside of this tote bag is beautifully lined in a contrasting fabric so that you can easily find what you are looking for. You can stack a lot of your craft supplies inside the bag and trust me, it really holds a lot! It's big enough to hold containers of your little, itty-bitty supplies and big enough to hold full skeins of yarns. You can really load it up with your craft or knitting supplies.

One of the things I love about the tote is it's fabrication. It's very durable, but yet very light-weight. You don't feel like you are toting around a bunch of heavy bricks. Second, I accidentally spilled something on the outside of the bag and it completely beaded-up and wiped off. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this tote and would love to have several more! It's fabulous and would make a great gift this holiday season!

Creative Options® products are sold throughout the United States at the following locations: Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, Michaels and Walmart. Head on out to your local retailer today and take a look at all of the fabulous Creative Options® products that they have to offer. You can learn more about these products and the company by visiting Creative Options® online.

Disclaimer: Shelly H. received a complimentary tote to feature on her blog. No monetary compensation was received. Regardless of receiving a complimentary product, Shelly's opinions on the item are 100% her own, unbiased opinion. Your thoughts may differ.

DIY Garden Stepping Stone Kits with Solar Lights

I love doing crafts...all kinds of crafts. In addition to crafting, I love being outside working in my garden or on our various landscaping projects. Today, I am going to tell you all about these fabulous DIY Solar Light Garden Stepping Stone Kits from HomenYard.com.

HomenYard sells all kinds of DIY Garden Stepping Stone Kits in a wide variety of different designs. Some of them come with a solar light that you embed down into the stepping stone when you make it and others are without the solar lights.

What I really love about these DIY kits is that everything is included except for the water! That's right, everything is included! You will get the plastic mold, the cement mix, stirring stick, the colorful jewels, broken glass pieces, solar light (in those type's of kits), full step-by-step instructions and a color photograph of the completed project.

We got a few of these garden stepping stone kits and have been making one every few weeks when our grand daughter comes over to visit. She loves arts & craft projects so this is one that she can do with our assistance. Basically, we do all of the mixing and pouring into the mold and she does all of the decorating with the included faux jewels, stones and glass pieces that come in your kit.

Once you have it made you will let it sit out in the sun on a nice warm or hot day. Let it sit out for a good 24 hours and then you simply pop it out of the plastic mold. We found that these plastic molds are reusable too...so save them and get some additional supplies to make more!

I was really impressed with the quality of these completed stepping stones. Once completed and hardened they are super-weighty and about 2 to 2 1/2" thick. These are not cheesy, thin and flimsy stepping stones at all. A really nice quality!

The solar light that is included comes with the solar rechargeable battery already in it. You will follow the directions to activate it and it will need a good day or two in the sun to fully charge up. I was amazed at how much light is given off with just one of these stones! It's not too bright and not too dim, it's just perfect in my opinion!

Head on over to HomenYard.com and take a look at all of the DIY Garden Stepping Stone Kits that they have to offer. They are really affordable kits and very nice quality too!

Disclaimer: Shelly H. received a complimentary stepping stone kit to review and feature on her craft blog. No monetary compensation was received. Her opinion, thoughts and words are 100%  unbiased and are true. Your opinions may differ.

Book Review: Idiot's Guides to Quilting

If you have ever wanted to learn the art of quilting then I highly suggest you check out the Idiot's Guides to Quilting book by author Jennifer Fulton. This book includes step-by-step color photos which makes machine and hand quilting simple. Inside the book you will find easy lessons on cutting, piecing, appliqueing and more. Included are 15+ fun and fresh quilting projects to help build on the quilting skills that you've learned.

Book Synopsis: Whether it's a meaningful gift for a special occasion or a warm & cozy cover for cold nights, a quilt is always welcome. But if you've never stitched a quilt top, the craft can seem over-whelming. Not anymore! This book is packed with beautiful color photographs that instruct and inspire, this helpful guide shows you how easy it is to create one-of-a-kind quilted pieces. In the guide you will get:

* A primer on the quilting tools and supplies you need to get started.

* Helpful tips for selecting the best fabrics for your projects.

* Step-by-step tutorials for piecing, quilting and applique - by hand or machine.

* Lessons on cutting and piecing blocks, sewing a quilt top, assembling quilt layers and quilting your work.

* Easy-to-print, accurately scaled project patterns are available online.

* ISBN: 978-1-61564-612-8

My Thoughts: A few years ago I tried my hand at quilting and I admit, I have some of the basics down but not all of them. This book is absolutely a must-have if you are a beginner or just need some refresher lessons. Even if you are an experienced quilter...you will still enjoy this book and the author's quilting tips and projects within it.

The book is broken down in easy-to-read chapters starting with Chapter 1: Getting Ready to Quilt which goes over the terminology and the supplies that you will need. Chapter 2: Explains how to select the perfect fabric for your projects, Chapter 3: How to prepare and cut your fabric, Chapter 4: Explains how to piece your quilt blocks, Chapter 5: Explains piecing techniques, Chapter 6: Explains advanced piecing techniques, Chapter 7: The art of applique, Chapter 8: How to assemble a quilt top, Chapter 9: How to prepare your quilt for quilting, Chapter 10: Quilting a quilt and the book finishes up with Chapter 11: The gallery of projects. Phew...this book covers everything!

One of the things I love about it is that quilting is explained in a manner than anyone can understand. Even if you have never sewn before or crafted anything in your life...you will totally learn how to make a quilt with this handy dandy guide! The book is loaded with beautiful color photographs that show you step-by-step how to complete each of the tasks outlined in the book.

If you can't have a "master" quilter sitting beside you and giving you "hands on" lessons, this Quilting book by Idiot's Guides is definitely the next best thing!

Disclaimer: Shelly H. received a complimentary copy of the Idiot's Guides to Quilting Book for a review on her Passionate About Crafting Blog. No monetary compensation was received. Her thoughts are 100% unbiased and are based on her personal experience with the book. Your opinion may differ.

DIY - Instant Chalkboard for Your Pantry

** Product Samples Were Received **

My pantry was a royal mess until I decided to reorganize it. I bought plastic bins, new shelving, labels and all kinds of other things. Now when I walk into my kitchen pantry, I can clearly see everything that I have and everything is in its place.

With that said, I wanted an easier way to keep track of what we used (ran out of) from the pantry so that when grocery shopping day arrived, I could quickly add pantry items to my shopping list. After all, grocery shopping and list-making, are not my favorite things to do!

Recently I received a complimentary package of Scotch Tapes to help me get better organized. When I saw that roll of Scotch Chalkboard Tape, I knew immediately what I was going to do with it. Along with that tape, they also sent me a roll of the Scotch Dry Erase Tape, a box of colored chalks, a dry erase marker and an eraser.

So, let's get back to my project.

I decided to use the Scotch Chalkboard Tape to make a chalkboard inside my kitchen pantry! I got a ruler and figured out how wide and how long I wanted my chalkboard to be. I then cut strips of tape from the roll and applied them directly onto the back (inside) of my door. This took me less than 2 minutes from start to finish.

I then used a sticky plastic hook beside my new board and attached a small basket. That basket holds the box of chalk along with the eraser. Now when my family takes the last item out of the pantry to eat or drink, they write down the name of that item on the chalkboard. When grocery day rolls around, I open up the door, take a look at the list and add all of the items to my shopping list! Yay!

Over the next few weeks I will share some additional quick and easy projects with all of you that I have been doing around my home to get better organized thanks to the great folks over at Scotch! You can learn more about the new Scotch Dry Erase Tape and the Chalkboard Tape by visiting their web site online. Plus, you can pick up some fun project ideas too!

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.

6 Tips on How to Save Money on Crafting Supplies

I have been crafting since I was 15 years old. Over the past 30 years I have dabbled in all kinds of different crafts. I love to do scrapbooking, cardmaking, beading, weaving, plastic canvas, crochet, cross stitching and of course...quilting.

One thing I can personally tell you is that crafting can get really expensive. However, there are ways you can cut down those expenses and today, I am going to tell you how you can save money on all of your crafting supplies.

1. Every Sunday pick up the newspaper and go through all of the store's circular ads. You will often find great deals like 10 for $10.00 deals, 2 for $5.00 deals and so forth. These deals are for a limited time only.

2. Look for online coupons that you can use. A lot of these coupons will get you free shipping, a certain percentage off, buy 1 get 1 free deals, etc. You can find great coupons for Hancock Fabrics, A.C. Moore, Joann, Michael's, Hobby Lobby and more!

3. If you are shopping in a physical retail craft store look in the back of the store for a clearance section. You will often find clearance deals for up to 80% off regular price!

4. When shopping in the store look at the end of the aisles for clearance deals and sales specials. These are often at the end of the aisle and can really save you some money.

5. Buy in bulk whenever you can! If you are a paper crafter, buy your paper in large bundles. If you go through a lot of glue...purchase a multiple pack. Often times the larger the pack, the more money you will save.

6. Box up and bag up your leftover craft supplies that you no longer need and trade them with another person who crafts. These days you can find all kinds of people online who would be willing to trade supplies with you.

Sitting down and creating some with your own hands is a lot of fun. Plus, you get a lot of satisfaction in making that item yourself. With that said, you can save a lot of money on your crafting supplies by following the 6 tips listed above.

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.

Craft Project - Pen and Pencil Holders Made with Scotch Duct Tape

The kids are getting ready to head back-to-school and this year my 5 year old grand daughter will be attending Kindergarten. We have been really busy buying all of the clothing and back-to-school supplies that she will need. In addition to these purchases, we got her a new desk & have that set up in the corner of her bedroom. Now that she has a desk, she needed to get her school supplies organized.

I headed to our local dollar discount store and picked up some plastic containers. As you all know, these types of containers are boring and dull to look at. Seriously, they are not pretty things that you want displayed in your work space at all.

Recently I was sent 5 rolls of the new Scotch Duct Tape to review for all of you and decided to use that pretty patterned duct tape to jazz up some of Gia's desktop organizers. Here is what we made so far and additional projects will be forthcoming.

Duct Tape Marker Holder

1 large clear cylinder plastic container
1 roll Scotch Duct Tape
scissors
measuring tape

For this container we measured around the circumference and cut strips from our roll of duct tape. We then simply wrapped them one by one around the clear plastic container. As you can see, it is definitely a lot prettier now and something that can sit proudly on top of her desk to hold all of her markers. This project took us about 8 minutes to complete.

Pen and Pencil Holder

1 rectangular plastic pencil holder w/pull out drawer
1 roll Scotch Duct Tape
scissors
measuring tape

Our plastic holder was done in a tangerine orange color with a clear plastic pull out drawer. We measured the top of the container and cut two strips of the pretty peacock feather patterned duct tape to fit across it. We left a 1/2" border around all four edges so that the new duct tape panel was framed out with the orange plastic. (see photo as it shows it better than how I am explaining it).

We then wanted to decorate the front of the pull out drawer and simply just cut-out 4 of the peacock print feathers from the duct tape and pieced them together in a pretty cross pattern on the front of the drawer. This project only took us 8 minutes to complete.

I also wanted to let you know that Scotch Duct Tape is hosting a Back-to-School contest that asks teens to create an original back-to-school craft with duct tape and submit a photo that shows how they’re going back to school in style for a chance to win $1,000. This would be a great way to get crafty with your kids, plus first place and wins $1,000!

The Tape On Back-to-School contest just launched and lasts until August 18th on the Scotch Color & Pattern Tape Facebook page. The contest will include prizes for the top four winners with second place receiving $500 and third and fourth place receiving $250.

You can find some really cool craft project ideas using this pretty patterned duct tape by visiting the Scotch Duct Tape web 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 Scrapbooking Pen and Pencil Organizer

We are getting ready to move into our new home and one things I love about our new home is that I get my own scrapbooking and craft room! I am really looking forward to decorating it up and making it cozy. With that said, I want to get all of my scrapbooking and craft supplies organized but I don't have a lot of money to spend on buying various organizing containers and shelves.

I decided to make some organizers myself by repurposing empty containers that I normally throw away. For this project, I wanted something to hold all of my gel pens and markers that I use for scrapbooking and cardmaking, and I wanted it to look pretty enough to sit on a shelf or on my desk top. I turned an empty pretzel sticks container into the perfect pen, pencil and marker holder and here is how I did it!

Pen and Pencil Canister - Organizer

Supplies Needed:

1 Empty Plastic Pretzel Rod Container with Lid
2 Sheets of Scrapbooking Paper
1 Roll of Rick Rack Trim
Liquid Glue Pen
Ruler
Scissors

I measured my plastic container and then cut a strip of paper from textured chocolate brown scrapbooking paper to those exact measurements. I used a liquid glue pen to glue that strip of paper around my plastic canister/container. It took about 10 minutes to dry and set. From a piece of pink printed scrapbooking paper I cut another strip that was much smaller in it's height to wrap around the canister and used the liquid glue pen to glue it on top of the chocolate brown paper, centering it so that the brown peeked out on the sides. I then used my liquid glue pen to glue the yellow rick rack trim on both long edges of the pink paper strip. I left the entire thing dry overnight.

While it was drying, I traced around the round lid onto a piece of the pink scrapbooking paper. I then cut it out but cut the circle slightly smaller than what I needed as I wanted some of the black on the lid to frame out the pink circle once it was glued on. I used the liquid glue pen to glue it on and found that this worked a lot better than using a hot glue gun.

You can use these decorated canisters - containers to hold all kinds of things and I am going to make many more of them as I empty out containers from our pantry. (after we have eaten the food, of course!). Now all of my gel pens and markers have a pretty little home! The next one that I am going to make will hold all of my colored pencils! Yeah!

What a great way to save all of those plastic containers from our landfills! This is a great project that the older kids can do too! Enjoy!

Join Martha Stewart at Apple's SoHo Store

Join Martha Stewart at the newly renovated Apple Store in SoHo on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 from 7-8pm EST time for a Q&A discussion about design, technology and her new creativity app
Experience the Martha Stewart CraftStudio app and print out your creations.

Where:

SoHo Apple Store Theater
103 Prince St., New York, NY 10012
Free Admission, Limited Space
RSVP to Jennifer Kung
jen@happy.is 516.776.2787

I really wish I lived in New York City and the surrounding area so that I could attend! I love Martha Stewart's craft products and own several of them! If you live in New York City hopefully you will get the chance to attend! Contact Jennifer for the invite and to RSVP! Good Luck!

New Martha Stewart CraftStudio Free APP

We are Happy™— a new interactive lifestyle brand and studio dedicated to creating digital tools that unleash creativity, foster personal growth, build community, inspire others, and promote...you guessed it...happiness.

Check out Martha Stewart CraftStudio, our first product designed and built in partnership with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. It's a ground-breaking creativity application for Apple's iPad now available in the App Store at no cost until July 8th. Download it here!
Unlike any other lifestyle app, CraftStudio brings the physical paper-crafting world of scrapbooking, memory-keeping and photo embellishment to life on the iPad and allows crafters and non-crafters of all ages and skill levels to create and customize digital cards, invitations, thank-you notes, scrapbook pages, keepsakes, and more. Oh, and there's glitter.

CraftStudio connects back to the physical world by enabling high quality prints to a home printer using AirPrint technology and professional quality prints via Snapfish.

To watch the promotional video for CraftStudio, click here.

Sincerely,

The Happy Team

Need Some Great Stamps? Check Out XStamper Online!

This is a compensated post written by me on behalf of Xstamper. All opinions are 100% mine.

I use a lot of stamps when I craft and you often see me using them when I make homemade greeting cards, bookmarks, scrapbooking pages and a variety of other paper crafts that I create. I just love using stamps on the projects that I make as they always add a nice detail to the finished project and often times it is quicker for me to use a stamp then writing it out in my yucky handwriting.

I found a really cool store online called XStamper online where you can purchase high-quality pre inked stamps at an affordable price and they have a nice large selection of them in various designs and styles. You can use these stamps with your craft projects and then turn around and use them for when you are paying bills or doing other household financial tasks. If you have your own craft business that you are operating from home these stamps surely would come in handy for that too!

Besides having pre inked stamps they also have notary stamps for those of you who need them. I have a friend who operates a notary business out of her home alongside her craft business just to make some additional income during the winter months when her craft show business is slower.

XStamper Online has FREE shipping when you place an order of $10.00 or more and most orders ship the same day you place them, which means you get your order pretty quickly! They also offer a lifetime guarantee for all XStamper brand products which is a fabulous thing!

If you need some affordable, high-quality ink stamps I would like to invite you to check out XStamper Online today as I think you will be pleased with their prices and their variety of products!

Ultimate Craft and Hobby Table Top Lamp By DayLight Company

Today I would like to introduce you to the company called Daylight™ who makes and sells a variety of lighting products that all feature their special Daylight™ technology. With full spectrum Daylight™ technology, your eyes will still be fresh at the end of the day! No headaches, no red-eyes, working under Daylight™ becomes as relaxing and natural as a walk in the park

Here is a little bit about the company from their site: In 1990, Patrick Jacquelin discovered the daylight bulb on a trip abroad. Recognizing that natural daylight is the healthiest and more comfortable light for our eyes, he realized that this 'daylight simulation effect' could benefit thousands of individuals who need natural light lamps for everyday tasks, or more specifically, for hobbies that involved intricate detail and color matching. From this The Daylight Company was created. Since then, the company has steadily grown and today we are the market-leading brand of speciality lighting technology for the hobby industry across Europe and we are well on our way to making Daylight the No.1 brand for Craft Lighting.

My Review: I received the Ultimate Table Top Lamp for my product review. This stylish table lamp goes with just about any style of home decor and makes the perfect lamp for sewing, quilting, scrapbooking, cross-stitching, jewelry making and for reading. The lamp features a 20 watt low-heat Daylight (tm) bulb which is equivalent to a 100 watt bulb so that you are always working in optimal comfort. The lamp comes with an extendable arm for extra reach and comes with three removable accessories so that you can customize it to your own needs. The extendable arms gives you 21 1/2" reach. The three removable accessories include:

1. a removable divided tray that has 7 sections so that you can store and sort your small crafting or sewing supplies.
2. a removable chart holder clip that is mounted on a flexible arm. You can insert the arm into the base and use it or totally remove it if you don't need it.
3. a removable magnifier that is mounted on a flexible arm. Again...you can insert the arm into the base and use it or totally remove it if you don't need it. Magnification 1.75.

The lamp has a cone shaped shade and an easy to use on/off switch that is located on the head of the lamp and features a UL listed cord. What is also cool about the lamp is that the head will pivot in any direction that you need.

I am a big time crafter and scrapbooker so once the lamp was assembled I was eager to try it out. The first thing I noticed was how bright and natural the light looked throughout my craft room when the lamp was on. (huge difference). As I sat down to do some scrapbooking I realized how valuable this lamp is! I could easy tell the difference between items that were black, dark brown or dark navy blue whereas in the past...I had issues telling those colors a part due to the poor lighting in my craft room. I loved using the flexible arms on the lamp because I could easily put them in the position I needed them to be in. That magnifier glass is absolutely fabulous and now I can read the fine print on packages and instruction sheets with no problem. I love using that clip...it is great for holding embellishments that I just assembled and having them air dry out of my way. This is the ULTIMATE craft lamp! Seriously, I have been using the lamp for several days now and I don't know how I lived without it!

Overall Impression: This Daylight lamp is made of high quality materials. They thought of everything in regards to this lamp and besides being functional it is beautiful to look at! You can purchase this lamp for only $159.99 which I think is a very affordable price for a high quality craft lamp like this one. I give this lamp and this company 10 stars out of 10 stars on my rating scale! Fabulous!!!

How Would You Like To Win This Lamp? of course you would! Just head on over to my other blog called Two Classy Chics ~ Product Reviews & Giveaways and enter our giveaway for this fabulous lamp!!!

Once you are over on the site, you will see the giveaway listed in the right side bar. The giveaway is open to residents age 18 & over who live in the United States. The giveaway will close at midnight EST on August 5th, 2011.

So what are you waiting for? Head on over there right now & enter this giveaway!

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. Passionate About Crafting Blog is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from this blog. We are not responsible for injury or mis-use of any products won from the Passionate About Crafting Blog. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. Thanks!

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

Beffie's Boutique ~ Bamboo Knitting Needles Product Review!

Do you love to knit? If so, I got a fabulous company to introduce you to today called Beffie's Boutique where you can purchase high quality knitting needles, knitting supplies, gorgeous watches for us ladies, jewelry charms, knitting patterns, pre-made knitting kits and ready made completed pieces that were knit by hand! If you are a stylish chic and love unique hand crafted fashions, check out Beffie's shawls, shrugs and handbags! Wow, there is a lot of great things over at Beffie's Boutique!

I asked Beffie to tell us more about herself & her business and this is what she had to say. Lydia (Beffie) Johnston – retired middle school math & computer teacher. Ohio Knitting is now my fulltime passion. But I don’t like long needles especially if a project doesn’t need them. Many projects are narrow or overall just small. They can easily be done on needles that are only 17 centimeters long (7 inches). I couldn’t find needles less than 9 or 10 inches in length. So I have them specially made. Of course I had to order in large quantities. Hence, I have Beffie’s Bamboo to sell online at Beffie’s Boutique. There is no physical store. My website is the only source for these needles. The many booties my church group knits for the Community Pregnancy Center are made on size 5 of these short needles. The ladies prefer them. Another advantage is that we can pack a small ball of yarn & these short needles in our purse for knitting anywhere, anytime. I’ve traveled with them numerous times and have never had trouble at security in the airports. Needles are available in US Sizes 0 – 8. Also at Beffie’s Boutique are 5 inch double pointed needles, 27 cm circular needles in 3 sizes, Bamboo Pins, and assorted other knitting supplies.

Projects that can be completed on the short needles: · Baby items, especially booties · Coasters, Dishcloths, Washcloths · Most knit toys/dolls/stuffed animals · Mini- items (I’ve knit mini-sweaters, mittens, & socks for Christmas tree decorations) · Gloves, mittens · Scarves · Sleeves · Bookmarks · Doll clothes

My Review: I am an avid crafter but I have never tried knitting until about 10 days ago when I attended my first class. I am goig to admit up front that I don't know a whole lot about this crafting medium so I had to enlist the help of my 85 year old aunt for this review since she is an avoid knitter. Beffie's Boutique was generous to sent me a set of their 17 cm bamboo knitting needles in a protective case for me to review. Like I said, I am just learning and my first class was just about the supplies and basics. I am looking forward to class #2 when we actually start to learn how to knit. I took the bamboo needles over to my aunt's house to show her and she told me that 17 cm needles are hard to find and that she has never seen bamboo needles and immediately fell in love with this set. She told me that short knitting needles like this are great for taking your knitting products on the road with you. She said she prefers wooden needles over plastic or metal needles and she told me that bamboo needles are eco-friendly. So, I decided to let autnie try out my new needles for a few days. A few days later she told me that she LOVES them! She said they are easy to work with since they are short needles, they are comfortable to hold for long periods of time and that they are super smooth and glide through the yarn with ease. She also said that she likes that they have a blunt tip and are not super sharp so you don't have to worry about accidentally poking someone with your needles. I then asked her about the quality and she said they were excellent quality. So there you have it...the opinion of an 85 year old woman who has been knitting for 50+ years. I hope that after I am done with my knitting classes that I can become proficient in knitting too!

Purchasing Info: You can buy this set of Bamboo 17 cm Knitting Needles from Beffie's Boutique for only $4.00 and for an additional $1.00 you can get a purple protective case for them! Wow...talk about affordable!

I would personally like to thank Beffie's Boutique for allowing me to do a product review for their company here on the Passionate About Crafting Blog.

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. Passionate About Crafting Blog is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from this blog. We are not responsible for injury or mis-use of any products won from the Passionate About Crafting Blog. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. Thanks!