Crafting with Kids May Challenge - For the Teacher or Grad



Well I'm running a day behind, but better late than never....  It is time for the Crafting with Kids challenge.  This month your task is to have kids create something for a Teacher or a Grad.  Feel free to use any medium you wish.  Here is a fabulous piece made by Miss Annabella over at Bugaboo.  I love this tag!

Created by Ms. Annabelle (dtr of Yvonne)

Are your kids ready to get busy?  Link up with me before the challenge closes on May 20th and be entered to win a set of 6 digi stamps of your choice from Bugaboo Digi Stamps.  This is a such a fabulous prize.  Bugaboo always has such a great selection to choose from. 

Appreciate your Teachers - Apple Oreo cookies



Check out tutorial on www.thecraftingchicks.com

I wanted to share a super cute idea I found while searching the web.  These little cookies are absolutely precious.  I haven't made my batch yet.  I wanted to wait until next week so they stay fresh, but I wanted to share a link to them now.  This way you have time to plan if you want to try them out yourself. 

Basically you coat mini oreos in red candy melts.  You then shape a piece of green Air Head candy into a leaf and use part of a straight pretzel for the stem.  As the candy coating dries it holds the leaf and pretzel to the candy.

I saw this idea at The Crafty Chicks blog.  They have a fabulous tutorial on there explaining how.  I will post a photo of my finished product next week after I have had a try at making them.   They show a couple cute ways to display them, but I'm thinking about a little take out box from Michael's with a scalloped tag. 

If you haven't already please take a minute to check out the giveaway that I have running right now.  If you enter by 9:00 central time tonight  you could win 6 of my mini hedgehog notecards to give to a favorite teacher. 

Appreciate your teachers - A third gift idea.

I can't believe I've made it to day 3!  Phew.... creating something new and blogging about it each evening after work is difficult. 

Well this one comes with an amusing story.  So I have been pinning and planning away for a couple weeks now trying to find a cute idea for each day and I loved this idea from Everyday Scrapbook.   A water cup and pencils... very usable and easy to come by.  I figured I make a cute tag and be all set.  Well as I was putting this together this evening I go to drop the pencils in for the photograph and they are in inch to tall!  Who would have thought it??  So my husband has agreed to cut an inch off the pencils but not until the weekend.  So.... you'll have to imagine these cups full of pencils.  I guess then my advice to you is take the cup with you to buy your pencils unless you want to make this a paper craft and wood shop project all in one.

I do have to say the little flags are my favorite part, and they are pretty simple.   First measure out a regular piece of notebook paper to fit your message.  Stamp your message and add your little embellisment. 

If you've been reading much about me, you know that I LOVE buttons and was very happy to get to use them on this today.  The stem and leaf are from Papertrey ink as is the message.  Add a little red button and you're all set.

After the pencils are cut we'll be all set. 

Before you leave be sure to check out my Teacher Appreciation Giveaway.  You have until tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. to comment and enter to win.  Follow the link below to enter.



Teacher's Appreciation Giveaway!

Before we get to the giveaway I wanted to share the second gift idea.  Today's gift is made using my favorite Cricut die cut -- the hedgehog!  These little guys are so cute and very versatile.  I can adapt him to nearly any season or occasion. 

I figured everyone could always use a little thank you notes so that's how I decided on the "note of Thanks" notecards.  I couldn't resist adding the apple shaped gift bag.... It is for a teacher after all.  If I get a few extra minutes I plan on making a little white scallop tag to hang from the stem.

Materials used:
Hedgehog: Cricut cartridge B is for Boy

Small apple: on Silhouette studio by Jamie Koay

Apple basket: on Silhouette studio by Samantha Walker

Cardstock - Bazzill

These little cards measure 3 x 3 inches. The hedgehog was cut using B is for Boy cartridge and cut at 1 3/4 inches.  The apple was cut using my Silhouette and the message was computer printed before I cut the white cardstock. 

Don't have a diecut machine to make your own notecards?  Make your own without a diecut using pretty decorative cardstock OR you can enter to win a set of 6 of these little cards for yourself!!  That's right, I'll send you 6 of these mini cards and envelopes.  You can give them away or keep them for yourself. 

You get one entry for each of the following:
Following my blog

Tweet about my teacher giveaway

Become a Facebook fan (www.facebook.com/stitchesandscraps) or let me know you are already a fan

Please make sure you leave a comment letting me know what you have done, so I know how many entries to give you and a way to contact you.  While I welcome all International fans I can only ship these to US addresses.  I will randomly draw a winner on Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. central time.  I'll post and contact the winner.  I will ship out as soon as I have a mailing address. 

This is my first blog giveaway so please go spread the word.  Good luck!

Appreciate your Teachers - Gift ideas

Next week is Teacher Appreciation week.  This is probably not a big priority in most people's lives, but have you stopped a minute to send a quick thank you to your child's teacher this year?  Why not use the upcoming week as a way to show them how much you appreciate what they have done to help your child this year?

I have a week of ideas lined up to share with you.  Most of these ideas can be put together for under $5, so make a week of it and really show them you appreciate what they do.  Believe me... most of them don't hear it enough.

For our first gift we are going to be quenching their thirst.  I found the original version of these on a post from The Idea Room.  I adapted it with what supplies I had and to include some fabulous Chevron paper I found on Pinterest.  I just love the citrus colors and it gave me a reason to use my lime and white twine!

I wanted a simpler way to attach the packet of lemonade instead of the pouch in the original design.  I finally just used some of my strongest adhesive tape and just glued it to the tag.  Some times the simplest method works out for the best.

Check back tomorrow for another gift option.

Supplies used:
Chevron paper - Created by MelStampz and it was FREE!
Lemon diecut - Silhouette studio, designed by Jamie Koay
Divine twine (green and white)
Yellow twine

Crafting with Kids - Make something for Mom Challenge

I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter.  We are in the midst of packing for our move.  I'm frantically trying to finish up my Etsy orders before the move and get my scrapbooking supplies packed up and ready to go.  Phew!  I'm sure glad we don't move very often.

Anyway it's time for the next Crafting with Kids Challenge.  With Mother's day about a month away I decided it's time to make something for Mom.  Feel free to use whatever crafting things you'd like:  paper, felt, paint, icing, fabric, etc.  Get crafting with your kids and post a picture of what they created just for you.

Here are some ideas from my challenge sponsor - Bugaboo Digi Stamps.

By Samuel Zeeb

Created by Lily.

Created by Miss Annabelle

You have until Sunday, April 22nd to link up your design below.  I'll randomly draw a winner who will recieve 6 free digi images from our sponsor Bugaboo Digi Stamps.  Fabulous!!

Now get crafting!

Easter treats Tutorial

Easter is nearly here and I had to make something for the girls' PreK classes.  I was cruising Pinterest and found a cute carrot shaped treat I thought would be great for the kids.  What I think I liked the most was they were filled with goldfish instead of jelly beans or other candies.  We all know they get enough sugary treats at Easter anyway.  I changed them up a little to add some Easter tags and ribbon.

These are very easy, and I put together a quick tutorial to give everyone an idea about the amount of supplies they would need if you are making them for a whole class. 

Supplies needed:
Large carton of goldfish (1/2 cup of fish in each bag, makes 26 bags)
12" Icing bags (Wilton brand was all I found on short notice, but it has the big purple symbol on it.)
glue
ribbon for tags
2" circle punch
Crop a dile (holes in tags)
Kraft colored cardstock
Paper for bunnies (I used Custom Corps, yellow and ivory dot paper)
Brown marker
Tiny white pompoms

To make the tags:

I used the 2" punch to cut the circles and my Silhouette SD to cut the bunnies.  The bunny was a cut file created by Lori Whitlock that you can purchase from the Silhouette site.  Ink the edges of both to give it a slightly distressed look. 

I then drew the whiskers on the bunny.  Before gluing him down I estimated placement and drew additional whiskers on the tag.  I then lined the bunny up with the whiskers and attached him to the tag.

Next use glue dots to attach the little white tail and use the Crop a dile to punch the whole for the ribbon.
That finishes up the tags for now. 

To fill the bags use 1/2 cup of goldfish in each bag.  I then ran the ribbon through the tag and tied to the filled bag.  There will be some room left at the top.  If you have fewer kids you are making these for you can always add more fish.  If you are trying to conserve goldfish just trim it off like shown.

I really liked how the tag turned out.  Kraft cardstock and ribbon are 2 of my go to scrappy things.  I hope these little treats helped inspire you to make some treats of your own this weekend. 

Have a safe and blessed Easter!