My friend’s two young children across the road have been asking me to do some Christmas Crafts with them for a while now. They had asked if we could make some Christmas wrapping paper. So this past weekend we set to creating, allowing their Mum and Dad to disappear Christmas shopping!

The girls have been making some Christmas presents at school but needed some Christmas wrapping paper to wrap them up in. They thus came armed with their creations to wrap. If you too have children and need to keep them busy for an afternoon, this idea will suit you. It's quick and easy and you can occupy the children for however long is necessary!

Equipment Necessary 

Here's the How To:-

We washed the potatoes, (unfortunately they were not handpicked from the garden, perhaps next year!) and cut them in ¾, discarding the rest.  The girls selected a Christmas cookie stencil to use, these being a star and a Christmas tree. The girls then pushed their Christmas cookie stencils into the potatoes. With my help, they then trimmed off the excess potato around the stencil to further outline the star and the tree and cut into the opposite end of the potato to create a handle so they could hold them more easily.         

The potatoes after stencil trimming. 

This photo highlights the handles used to grip the potatoes.

The girls then either brushed or sponged paint onto the potatoes and stamped as they wished all over brown lunch bags. The younger child did the stars which were all one color and the older child used the tree and used two colors.

We then spread them across the table to dry out.

You will find they don't dry as fast as the children want them too!!

Whilst they were drying, the girls picked through my ribbon box and found all the colors they wanted to use to add some zing to their Christmas wrapping. We did find a small amount of glitter glue and added this to the star wrap to highlight one particular star and left to dry again.

 Glitter glue used as decoration

When they were dry the girls added further decorations and I helped them to add the ribbons to secure their Christmas presents inside.

This handstamped Christmas wrap even had a matching tag!

Any type of decoration can be used, here we used foam stars.

We hope we have inspired you to create you own handstamped Christmas wrapping, the girls wanted me to show you all their photo’s and if you do make some Christmas wrapping, please send me photo's of yours to show them, they would be delighted to see them. 

 Our completed designer series of Handstamped Christmas Wrapping.

The children (aged 4 & 6) who live across the road are eager to return to school, or should I say their Mom is eager! Today, she had kept them busy making terrariums out of soda bottles that had been going into their recycling bins.

This evening they paid me a visit to show me their terrarium creations. I have posted instructions below so that if you needed a last minute activity before school starts you have one to use.

The girls obviously thoroughly enjoyed the activity and are eager to see changes in the days ahead as the violets continue to grow.

The dictionary definition of a terrarium is:- a glass container enclosing a garden of small plants.

TO MAKE A TERRARIUM

Obtain TWO 2 liter bottles, the clear bottles will work best as the children will be able to clearly see the water cycle and progress of growth of the plants within.

Soak off the labels and wash out the bottles carefully, then cut them both in half. Keep the bottoms and recycle the rest to the recycle bin.

Place a layer of gravel in the bottom of one of the soda bottle bottoms and then fill half way up with potting soil.

Proceed to plant your small plants within the soil. The girls had planted violets within their terrariums.

Water your new plants until the soil is pretty wet. If you are using bog plants then the water can soggy!

To complete, flip over the other bottom and carefully slide over the half in which you have planted your plants.

Place your terrarium in a sunny area, away from direct sunlight and observe the changes. The direct sunlight could cause the temperature in the terrarium to be too high for your plants, so ensure your children are watchful.

Only add water when necessary. Moisture from the terrarium should condense on the inside of the terrarium top and provide the necessary water.

A terrarium may be simple to make. The result however, of doing this simple activity can be profound, as it provides enrichment to a child’s life in ways that are very important. By teaching a child to care for living things, they become more aware of the complexities of nature and the world in which we live.

ENJOY : )

This morning I attended my monthly Stampin’ Up Card Class. Below, you will see the cards I made, using several different techniques.

The rose’s cards were made using stamps, pastel pencils and then the blender pen to merge the colors.

The autumnal leaf card shows sponging techniques across the card and again, use of the blender pen to merge the colors within the central leaf.

The daisy demonstrated cutting around the stamped item and the build of frames using different sizes of cardstock.

Ribbon was added to all as an accessory, with several of the cards featuring the use of several different punches and one featuring glitter.

My favorite was the daisy card!

Enjoy!

When I walked into our local supermarket this morning, little did I know that July is National Watermelon month. I was greeted on entering by many displays of decorated watermelons, and tempted by sales assistants with trays of varied samples to try from twizzle sticks to roasted seeds. I hope you get to see some displays  and sample some delights in your local store. The reason?

The National Watermelon Association states that the U.S. House of Representatives designated in July 2007 that July was National Watermelon month. In its honor a continent-wide display contest is be run across the U.S. and Canada during the month of July this year.

The object of this promotion is to increase watermelon sales and build consumer awareness of the health benefits and innovative usage of watermelon. The specific goal of the contest is to increase watermelon sales throughout the month of July. The contest is open to all retailers for displays done at anytime during the month of July.

So watch out for those displays when you are off to the store for your shopping and when you buy, here are some Gardener Crafting ideas.

The carving details can be found here:- http://www.watermelon.org/watermelon_carving.asp

Enjoy and have fun!

Do you think the time goes quicker as you get older or is it just me? In Hallmark yesterday they were arranged their displays for this coming weekends promotional event Christmas in July! Ho! Ho! Ho!  It doesn’t seem five minutes since it was last Christmas to me and I was fighting to get the tree out the front door!

The month of June just seems to have disappeared in a whirlwind and today it was time to attend my monthly Craft Class.  A time to chill out with the girls and have some fun whilst being creative. Again being a gardener, I was drawn to the floral and wildlife cards. There were many examples to choose from that Lisa (our Stampin’ Up Demonstrator) had made to give us ideas this time using many of the stamps and accessories from the new Stampin’ UP catalogue. But, as usually I went off at a tangent experimenting with different colors and different additions. Coming home with ink stained fingers and thumbs (yep! my partly green thumb was ruby red for a change!) after ink sponging some of my cards!

I've made up a gallery to show you my creations, I hope you enjoy them, you never know you may be the recipient of one of them in the future.

Card Class July 2009

 Lisa is a Stampin’ Up demonstrator here locally. You can check Lisa and her calendar out here:- www.lisacurcio.stampinup.net 

The other day I took ‘time out’ and had some ‘me’ time!

No, I didn’t go to the Beauty Spa, although I could have been spoilt with a few treatments… the facial, the manicure, the pedicure the usually girly treats. But, I believe those that know me, would probably tell you I’m more of a Tomboy!
 
I went to a card making craft class. What! Ok, I can hear you shouting here from there!!! I’ll go to the Spa next week!!!

This week it was card class. Being a gardener, I was drawn to the examples of cards that Lisa (our Stampin' Up Demonstrator) had made to give us ideas using stamps which included flowers, leaves and bugs.

We are a usually a small group of ladies but, with the school holidays upon us, we had a couple of daughters join us this week, We share fun and laughter, whilst creating some cards to rival 'Hallmark's!'  Several of us often have lunch together afterwards, but this week schedules unfortunately did not allow this luxury, next time!

I attend the card class but, especially love the Stamp Camps when there is usually something to make in 3D.

Below pictured in the gallery are some of the cards I made and the floral flowerpot I made at the last stamp camp. Enjoy, I hope they give you some ideas too!

Crafty Gardening!

Lisa is a Stampin’ Up demonstrator here locally providing all the usually activities - card class, scrap booking, stamp camps etc. to name but a few.

You can check Lisa and her calendar out here:-  www.lisacurcio.stampinup.net

Why not come and join us!