Crumbs & Morsels

236+ Things to do With Your Cuttlebug or Big Shot

2012-01-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

I could have just copied and pasted the whole post here, but I'm not sure all her links would have transferred over, so... 236+ things to do with Your Cuttlebug / Big Shot

Mel Stampz is such a neat site. Check it out!

33 Ways to Stay Creative

2011-07-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

Got this from The Daily {Paper Craft} Planet newsletter. Great ideas...

Easel idea for your handmade cards

2010-11-14T15:57:00.000-08:00

This comes from Card Creations by Lorraine. It's a neat and inexpensive way to display your handmade cards, whether for a craft show, or when you want to photograph one for your blog. Check it >>>here<<<.

Shipping Charges List

2010-08-12T13:37:00.001-07:00

The Stamping Place has been added to the shipping charges list. I placed an order with them, and they reduced my postage being it was lighter in weight than expected. I'd say that deserves a trip back there soon. :)

Bits & Tips #7

2010-04-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

When I want faux stitching, I use my Scor-Pal and score from the back side of the project. Then turn it over and use the Scor-Bug on the front side, or a paper piercing grid and a paper-piercer and pierce on the scored line. (From Cindy H.)

Bits & Tips #6

2010-04-21T09:18:00.001-07:00

I sharpen my blades on my Fiskar paper cutter by cutting through an aluminum pie pan 3-4 times. (From Pat)

Bits & Tips #5

2010-04-21T09:01:00.001-07:00

How to Make H2Os...
I mix 2 drops of reinker, 4 drops of distilled water, and 1 drop of irridescent medium for watercolors (which I got at Hobby Lobby, but think you probably can get from Michaels or one of the other chain stores. I mix all of this together and put it in small jars like those embossing powders come in. You can let them dry out or you can keep them moist. You can reactivate them with a drop or two of water or if you want to blend the colors, you can take a bit out and put it on a plastic lid with a little more water for a lighter color.

I have kept mine going for over a year and they work just great. (From Pat)

Organizing Tip of the Month: 8 Ways to Tame the Maintenance Monster

2010-03-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

This is from the Jeri Dansky monthly organizing newsletter. It's something I want to keep for reference. Maybe it will inspire you...

A reader asks: I've done some de-cluttering and it has felt great.
My problem (and I'm sure that of many others) is how to maintain the practice. I'm very quickly back to piles and stashes whenever life's challenges arise. Then I have to start all over again. I know that one doesn't clean once and that's it, but how do I get inspired to maintain and enjoy the new space?

We all wish we could wave a magic wand and the toys would be put away, the papers filed, and so on. But since we don't have the magic-wand option, here are some thoughts to consider.

1. We all have things get out of control sometimes. But if we have good systems in place, it's easier to get back into control. Make sure there's a place for everything, so you can put things back in their places!

2. Make sure your systems are as simple as feasible, so it's EASY to put things away. That means storing often-used items close to where they are used, making sure the containers aren't so full that
it's hard to put things away, etc.

If a particular area or type of item is always a challenge, look for ways to tweak what you're doing to make things simpler.

3. Minimize what comes in, so there are fewer piles to accumulate. Get off junk mail lists, for example.

4. If you have a family, getting everyone to participate in the organizing can sure help. Kids can do their part, too. And when there are multiple people involved, heed the words of organizer

Lorie Marrero: "Ownership of maintenance tasks is often the missing link in successful organizing systems." Make sure you know who is going to do what.

5. Make the maintenance as pleasant as possible. For example, some people like to put on inspiring music. Another part of this is having tools that work well, and please you: a shredder, a stapler, file folders, laundry bins, etc.

6. Some people find it works well to do the maintenance in small chunks of time: 10-15 minutes here and there. Other people schedule larger chunks of time in their calendars. Experiment, and see what kind of scheduling approach works for you.

7. If it's in your budget, consider getting some help. If you can have someone else do cleaning or laundry, for example, you'll have more time for other types of maintenance. And of course a professional organizer is always an option!

8. Think of the maintenance as a gift you give yourself. I have a greeting card by Allison Strine that I use as inspiration; it says "She finally decided she was worth it." You're worth it, too.

Shipping Charges List

2010-01-29T19:26:00.000-08:00

I added River City Rubber Works to the Shipping Charges List. They offer low shipping beginning at $3; with free shipping on cling mounted and/or unmounted individual stamps.

Uses for Coffee Filters

2010-01-13T08:11:00.000-08:00

Coffee filters .... Who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing even the large ones.

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."

15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliquing soft fabrics.

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..

25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

30 Days of Cookies!

2009-11-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

Got this one off AOL! Thought it was worth keeping!

30 Days of Cookies

One basic cookies dough makes the building blocks for 30 different kinds of cookies -- just in time for the holidays. Grab the kids and get rolling.

by Sandy Gluck / Photo by Getty RF

Inspired to bake? Make cookies for a cause. Visit glad.com/gladtogive to see how some lovin' from your oven can help out Cookies for Kids' Cancer.

Basic Cookie Dough
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1-cup sugar
1 large egg
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.

2. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Tear off 2 sheets of waxed paper, each about 12-inches. Spoon half the dough lengthwise down the center of each sheet of paper forming a strip about 8 inches long. With your hands, roll each strip into a log about 2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick. Wrap the logs up in the paper.

3. Freeze several hours until firm or freeze up to 3 months

4. To bake: preheat oven to 400. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap frozen dough and with a sharp knife, slice 1/4-inch thick. Bake until golden around the edges, rotating baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back. With a wide, thin metal spatula, remove from baking sheets to wire rack to cool completely.

1. Ginger Cookies: Add 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard powder to flour mixture. Beat 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger in to mixture when adding egg.

2. Peanut Cookies: Grind enough peanuts to make 1/3 cup finely ground. Reduce flour to 1 1/3 cups and stir ground peanuts into remaining flour mixture. Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped peanuts when adding egg.

3. Espresso-Almond Cookies: Add 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder to flour mixture. Reduce sugar to 2/3 cup and add 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar. Add 1/8 teaspoon almond extract when adding vanilla. Fold in 1/3 cup sliced almonds after adding flour.

4. Molasses Cookies: Increase flour to 1 3/4 cups, swap in 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar for 1/4 cup granulated, and add 3 tablespoons molasses when beating butter and sugar.

5. Citrus Cookies: Beat 2 tablespoons grated lemon, lime or a combo into mixture when adding egg.

6. Malted Milk Cookies: Add 2 tablespoons malted milk powder to flour mixture. Add 1/4 cup crushed malted milk balls when adding egg.

7. Cornmeal-Currant Cookies: Replace 1/3 cup of flour with 1/3 cup finely ground cornmeal. Stir 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest and 1/3 cup currants into mixture after adding flour.

8. Red-Hot Cookies: Finely crush 1/3 cup of red-hot candies and fold in when adding flour mixture.

9. Spice Cookies: Add 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon allspice to flour mixture.

10. Peanut Butter Chips: Reduce butter to 6 tablespoons. Add 2 tablespoons peanut butter. Fold in 3 tablespoons peanut butter chips when adding flour mixture.

11. Brown Butter: Melt butter over low heat until lightly browned and fragrant (do this in a pan that isn’t dark so you can see the change in color). Chill butter until firm then proceed with recipe as directed.

12. Toasted Coconut: Toast 1 cup of angel-flake coconut (the sweetened kind you get in the supermarket in bags) until golden brown. Grind a little more than half to get 1/3 cup ground and replace 1/3 cup of the flour with the ground coconut. Fold the remaining coconut in when adding the egg.

13. Chocolate-Chile Cookies: Remove 3 tablespoons of flour and replace with 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder. Add 3/4 teaspoon ancho or chipotle chile powder, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to flour mixture.

14. Granola Cookies: Coarsely shop 1/2 cup of your favorite granola and stir in when adding flour mixture.

15. Orange-Cranberry: Fold 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest and 1/4 cup finely chopped dried cranberries into dough after adding flour mixture.

16. Black Forest: Beat 2 ounces of melted and cooled semisweet chocolate into dough after adding egg. Fold in ¼ cup finely chopped dried cherries after adding flour mixture.

17. White and Dark Chocolate: Remove 3 tablespoons of flour and replace with 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder. Reduce granulated sugar to 3/4 cup and add 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar. Fold in 1/3 cup chopped white chocolate after adding flour.
18. Double Chocolate: Remove 3 tablespoons of flour and replace with 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder. Fold in 1/3-cup mini chocolate chips after folding in flour.

19. Rocky Road: Beat 1/3-cup marshmallow fluff when beating butter and sugar. Increase vanilla to 1 teaspoon. Fold in 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans after folding in flour.

20. Carrot Cookies: Beat 1/2 cup of finely grated carrot into the mixture when adding egg. Swap in 1/3 cup maple sugar for 1/3 cup of regular sugar.

21. Pine Nut Cookies: Fold 1/4 cup of pine nuts into dough after adding flour mixture. Add 1/8 teaspoon almond extract along with vanilla.

22. Crispy Rice Cookies: Stir 2/3 cup of crisp puffed rice cereal into mixture when beating in flour mixture.

23. Sesame Cookies: Beat 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil and 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds into mixture when adding egg.

24. Apricot-Anise Cookies: Fold in 1 1/2 teaspoons anise seed and 1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots after adding flour.

25. Cashew Cookies: Reduce butter to 6 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons cashew butter. Add 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg to flour mixture. Fold in 1/3 cup finely chopped salted cashews after adding flour.

26. Sunflower Seed Cookies: Reduce butter to 6 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons sunflower seed butter. Fold 2 tablespoons toasted hulled sunflower seeds and 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest to mixture after adding flour mixture.

27. Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Sugar Cookies: Replace 2/3 cup of flour with 2/3-cup whole-wheat pastry flour. Add 1-teaspoon ground cinnamon to flour mixture. Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar to sugar and butter mixture.

28. Toasted Oatmeal Cookies: Toast 1 1/2 cups rolled or quick cooking oats until fragrant and golden brown. Grind 1 cup of the oats and once ground measure and substitute for an equal amount of flour. Reduce sugar to 3/4 cup and add 1/4 cup light brown sugar. Fold remaining 1/2 cup oats into dough after adding flour.

29. Butterscotch Cookies: Reduce sugar to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar. Fold in 1/2 cup butterscotch morsels after adding flour.

30. Tropical Cookies: Fold 1/3 cup finely chopped dried pineapple, 1/4 cup finely chopped dried banana chips, and 2 teaspoons grated lime zest after adding flour.

Motherhood / Family Quotes!

2009-10-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

1. By and large, mothers are the great vacationless class. - writer Anne Morrow Lindebergh
2. The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the famil nothing but leftovers. The original mal has never been found. - writier/humorist Calvin Trillin
3. Becoming a mothers makes you the mother of all children. From now on each wounded, abandoned, frightened child is yours. You live in the suffering mothers of every race and creed and weep with them. You long to comfort all who are desolute. - write Charlotte E. Gray
4. For a mother is the only person on earth who can divide her love among twn children and each child still have all her love. - Anonymous
5. Mothers, food, love and career - the four major guilt groups. - cartoonist Cathy Guisewite
6. A suburban mother's role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car foreer after. - writie Peter DeVries
7. A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest. - Irish Proverb
8. You go to work when you're sick, maybe even clinically depressed, because motherhood is perhaps the only unpaid position where failure to show up can result in arrest. - writer Mary Kay Blakely
9. Worse than just about anything else is the agonizing issue of how on earth anyone can bring a child into this world knowing full well that he or she is eventually going to have to go through the seventh and eighth grades. - writer Anne Lamott

From the Mom dictionary:
Hindsight: Perspective gained from changing innumerable diapers.
Geniuses: Your kids.
Racket:Sound produced by two or more boys above the age of 8.
Show-offs: Other peoples' kids.

Theoretical Mothers: Speedy exception is the mother of good fortune. - Proverb

Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles. - write Samuel Smiles

Overheard Mom:

Motherhood. What is it but high stress 24/7, no pay, no holidays, and in the end everything is your damn fault.

Things ALL Mothers Say:

You're going to poke your eye out with that thing!
This is going to end in tears.
I'm going to give you until the count of three. One...two...

What all Mothers know:

Quiet does not necessarily mean good.
A magnifying glass can start a fire even on an overcast day.
You never turn on the oven without looking inside first.

Household items for papercraft uses!

2009-08-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

These ideas are compiled from Cricut.com and Gingerwood. Hope they give you ideas for new uses of household items. If you have some to include just email me. Put Crumbs & Morsels in the RE:

1. This past weekend I wanted to sand a piece of paper to distress it so it would match the other papers I was using. My little pieces of sand paper were way too harsh and were tearing up my paper so I asked my DH what else we had that I could try. He came up with one of those sponge sanding blocks used for drywall. They're dark red in color and have a very light grit to them. The sponginess makes it have some give so it doesn't tear my papers up. It worked so good I told DH he's not getting it back. He even said it could be washed if ever need be.

2. Baby wipes to clean up rubber stamps.

3. Lint rollers (the sticky kind) to clean off tiny paper scraps from work area.

4. Cotton swabs and make-up sponges for chalk and ink applicators.

5. Pan scrapper to use on the {Circut} mats to remove paper.

6. Nail block sander for distressing.

7. Emery boards (especially the black ones) for sanding.

8. Thread cutter - the round one with the little blades in grooves - for roughing the edges of paper.

9. Old electric fry pan for melting embossing powder, especially UTEE, from the bottom.

10. Drywall mesh tape instead of Magic Mesh.

11. Foam tape from hardware dept. to elevate items.

12. An old cookie sheet as a work surface for glitter and embossing projects.

13. Coffee filters are great for catching glitter or embossing powder. Easy to pour excess back into the containers.

14. Old mouse pads for punching little holes for brads.

15. Wood putty for sculpting embellishments - dries hard and can be tinted or painted.

16. Those plastic credit cards you get in the mail or even your own old cards. Great mat scrappers, use to adhere paper to mat, use in place of bone folders for scoring or making sharp folds in cardstock, lift small cuts off of mats.

17. Use the cheapest hairspray to set chalks.

18. Use a tracing wheel from your sewing basket. Swipe it across an ink pad and then on the paper and it looks like stitching.

19. Tic tac boxes are great for storing brads, beads, eyelets, safety pins, anysmall items.

20. Put a mouse pad under your sewing machine pedal - it doesn't move!!

21. Use an old spice rack to organize brads, eyelets, spiral clips, photo anchors, etc.

22. A fabric sheet wiped over the Cricut to keep down static.

23. Mess bags from fruits and veggies replace Magic Mesh.

24. Old cassette tape rack holds ink pads.

25. Corrugated packing from light bulb packages makes good backgrounds. It can be colored.

26. White Gum Eraser--erases tiny words off of those paint chips.

27. Many food products come in plastic containers with snap on lids. They come in various sizes and shapes and are great for storing a variety of items.

28. Paint edger pads work great for cleaning stamps.

29. A small wine rack to hold pens that need to be stored horizontially. Instead of wine bottles in the holes, use clear tennis ball cans {or Pringles cans, or disposable cups)} as the container.

30. White paper flowers at your local Walmart can be painted any color you want to match.

31. Remove buttons from worn out clothes. So easy!

32. Over the door shoe holder to store punches.

33. Rain gutter for rolls of ribbon.

34. Goo Gone to clean sticky stuff off of your scissors.

35. Punch through waxed paper to lubricate punches.

35. Punch through aluminum foil to sharpen punches.

36. Dental floss is good from removing photos from those old magnetic albums.

37. Mr. Clean Magic Easers to clean stamps.

38. Pants hanger is great for hanging spools of ribbon and wheels used for stamping projects.

39. Sushi grass from package, once washed makes great embellishments.

40. Spice bottles, or salt and pepper shakers to store embossing powders or microbeads.

Attaching Acetate

2009-07-28T05:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I asked how to attach acetate headers to scrapbook paper or card stock, and those wonderful women on Gingerwood came up with the following ideas:

Glue dots behind "something" (a design on the acetate, if there is one)
Sew it on
Photo turns
Photo corners
A bit of tape runner under "something" that doesn't show

Free Downloadable Pet Items

2009-04-04T14:52:00.001-07:00

Wallpaper, stationery, coloring pages, games... http://www.freepetprojects.com/default.aspx?PageID=1982

Free Pet Treat Recipes

2009-04-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

Anyone who likes to make their own pet treats - here's the site... http://www.freepetprojects.com/default.aspx?PageID=934

Free Pet Projects

2009-04-04T14:48:00.001-07:00

This site gives patterns for pet costumes, yard signs, pet beds, charms, and more. An adorable site.

http://www.freepetprojects.com/default.aspx?PageID=933

Verses - Mushroom

2009-04-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

From various sources!

Happy Birthday to one Fungi! (get it, one fun guy!!!!)
Just popping up to say hi.

Verses - Whale

2009-04-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

From various sources! Substitute whale for well!

Wishing you a whale of a good time.
Wishing you whale wishes.
All is whale with the world!
Get whale!

About Hot Flashes!

2009-03-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

They aren't hot flashes, they are power surges!

Hot flashes: My own personal tropical vacation!

Hot flashes: My inner child playing with matches!

You know you are in menopause when you sell your furnace at a garage sale!

Technique - Polish Stone

2009-03-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

These come from various sources...

The look comes out to be a marble type. It would be a background. You need glossy paper, gold encore refill, bliss blue refill (your choice on color), alcohol, cotton balls and heat gun.
1 - randomly put tiny dabs onto glossy paper (too much will make it look too gold)
2 - pour alcohol into a little dish or lid
3 - dab the cotton ball into the alcohol
4 - drip a few drops of color refill onto the alcohol soaked cotton ball
5 - dab this all over the glossy paper (I didn't rub so I don't know if the rubbing works)
6 - you should have a color all over your glossy
7 - heat set and your background is done.Stamp image in Black on top or emboss in gold--Stipple butterfly looks great!

Polished stone #2 (sometimes called marbling)...
1-spray glossy cardstock with fine mist alcohol (rubbing or de-natured)
2-saturate a small piece of felt with alcohol
3-put a few drops of dye-based re-inker onto wet felt and dot on paper
4-repeat that process with one other color
5-with another piece of saturated felt I take a gold or silver (or any UM re-inker) re-inker and squeeze out a thin line on my felt. I then dot this in a few places on the paper.
6-when I am done with that I spray the whole piece of c.s. with the fine mist alcohol again so that the re-inkers move around and the metallic pigment starts to look like marble "veins".
7-I let it dry for about 30 seconds and put clear embossing powder over the whole thing and where ever the EP sticks to tells that that is where it needs to be set.

So I emboss it and it is ready to go. If you don't emboss then the pigment re-inker will never dry on the glossy c.s.

Technique - Shaving Cream

2009-03-05T19:26:00.000-08:00

All instructions are given by someone other than myself. Hope it works for you!

Instruction for "Shaving Cream" Background
1. Fill the bottom of a container (I used plastic) with a layer of shaving cream (cheap 99 cent stuff) and spread it out with a spatula.
2. Take a couple of coordinating colors of reinkers and put drops in a random pattern all over the shaving cream.
3. Take something about the size of a marker to swirl the shaving cream around to mix it up a bit.
4. Now, with a piece of US card stock (card front size) press it into the shaving cream from the center out.
5. Remove the CS and scrape off the extra shaving cream with a spatula. I even dried off the extra bits with a dark colored towel OR a paper towel will probably work okay.
6. You have your awesome background!! You can repeat until you don't like the design you get.

Bits and Tips #4

2009-03-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

Put magnets on the back of jumbo brads to use on your magnetic boards.

Verses - Owl

2009-02-05T07:55:00.000-08:00

These are from various sources! Any sentiment substituting Owl for I'll

Hoot, hoot, hurray!
Whooo loves you?
Whooooo's having a birthday?
WHOOO do you think you are, looking so good at your age?
Owl always be your friend!
Owl Miss You!
Owl be thinking of you!"
Owl always love you!
Hoo loves you baby?
Owl be seeing you soon!
Owl be thinking of you!

Re-inker Uses

2009-01-30T07:50:00.000-08:00

We were discussing re-inkers on a rubber stamping board, and this link came up. I'll print the uses here, but also give you the link. It's on a really neat blog. The ideas are using Stampin' Up re-inkers, but it is my belief that other brands would do the same things.

1. Re-ink your stamp pads: Use the coordinating re-inkers to keep those 48 Stampin' Up! colors bright. You really don't have to buy a new ink pad when one drys up.
2. Shaving Cream Technique: Use them to make your own background paper using cheap shaving cream. It is a little messy but so much fun.
3. Use with a Paintbrush, Aqua Painter or Blender Pen to color your stamped images.
4. Make a beautiful glitter Christmas Ornaments. I know Christmas is over but you can remind me next year.
5. Mix Crystal Effects and Re-Inkers- you can even add dazzling diamond glitter to this for a nice effect on your stamping project
6. Color the white flowers in the Pretties Kit to match your project.
7. Bubble Background Technique- nice background for water or fish cards.
8. Re-ink your 48 colors of Stampin' Up! Markers #1. * Stampin' Up! does NOT recommend doing this. It is just something some that can be done to extend the life of their markers. You do this at the risk of ruining the marker and thereby having to replace it anyway. Carefully and gently remove the wide tip of the marker. Fill a small container with the coordinating color of re-inker. Place the brush tip of the marker that you've removed into the container that has the re-inker fluid in. Allow to soak from 10 minutes to 24 hours depending on how dry the tip was. Add several amounts of re-inker to the barrel of the marker. Re-insert the brush tip into the barrel of the marker. Do so gently and carefully. I have never done this but have been given these instructions by other demonstrators.
9. Re-ink your 48 colors of Stampin' Up! Markers #2. Another suggestion from a long-time demonstrator is to not remove the tip from the barrel. Just put some re-inker into a clear film canister and let the marker sit in it for a while. The marker will suck up all the ink it needs. Then wipe the tip & replace the cap. Lay the marker flat to allow the ink to travel to the small tip as well. It's a lot less messy!
10. Dye Ribbon: Use the re-inkers to dye white ribbon to have matching ribbon for your project. Make sure to let it dry prior to using it.
11. Marble Technique for a different background using real marbles.
12. Bubble Wrap or Sandwich wrap dabbed in reinker to make a unique background.
13. Sponging your projects.
14. Baby Wipe Technique.
15. Polished Stone Technique using metallic reinker also.

Blog link: http://msch1l.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/01/reinker-uses.html

Bits and Tips #3

2009-01-29T07:46:00.000-08:00

I was shopping the mark down after Xmas at Walmart and stumbled across their left over holiday ribbons. They had a green plush ribbon, the kind of texture they used to have in fuzzy books when I was a kid. And right away my mind thought that would be great for diecutting my Sizzix shamrock. Got this huge roll of WIDE ribbon for 75 cents. Just tried it and it makes the neatest shamrocks, SO I am now going to use some RED I got a while back for valentine hearts. (From Sharanlee)

Today's Quote!

2009-01-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

“Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”
—JULIA CHILD

That applies to anything and everything in life!

Bits and Tips #2

2009-01-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

Whenever I get a new punch I use it on cardstock that I have rubbed with Bee's Wax. Run the wax on both sides of cardstock. Then be sure to punch a couple times on an other piece of cardstock in case of extra wax being in punch. will not harm punch. (From Janice Wallerich)

Recycling Ideas!

2009-01-10T14:13:00.000-08:00

These are from my friends at Gingerwood. They know how to stretch a buck, using things that come into the house for crafting. If you know of a good recycling idea, share it with us. Email me!

From Patsy
I save netting from onion bags.I have used on lighthouse & Mermaid cards--can weave fuzzy green yarn through to resemble seaweed.

Jigsaw puzzle pieces can be painted over with PH Martin ink or similar ones...then while assembled stamp over ---really cool results.

The insides of lightbulb boxes are cool!

From Mrs. C.
I use old giftwrap to line envelopes.

From Diane B.
I saved all the Christmas catalogs and colorful ads from magazines and made Christmas Mosaic cards this year. I used the square punch to isolate images, then assembled them on cardstock, used Krylons to border them, and clear embossed the whole thing to make multicolored and multi-imaged tiles. I had hundreds of punched images to use, and was able to make a lot of cards.http://www.egreenfish.com/Christmas%20Mosaic1.jpg

From Marcia D.
Cutting up a calendar into envelopes to use for our birthday list cards.

From Catherine Mace
I use catalogs/phone book for gluing layers, etc., , then toss....nft

From Connie in MO
I use those free AOL (or other) CD's we get all the time for a pallate for my water markers that I use blender pens in or watercolor brushes, wipe up clean and use again.

From Ging
I use the wrapping paper that I got the gift in and use it as my background paper for my thank you card for the gift.
Snowflake punches also make good embellishments on most xmas paper so the cards are pretty easy. It's thoughtful too because it is part of the gift they gave YOU!

Author Unknown:
The insides of envelopes can be used for iris folding or background paper. There are lots of different patterns and colors are primarily blue, black, or brown. Envelopes from bank statements or bills are good sources.

From Rebecca:
I used a pile of Dove foil chocolate wrappers to cover plain brass brads like you get from an office supply store. It dressed them up, and I hated to waste the pretty foil. You can get about 6 brads with 1 wrapper. just tear or punch out a circle big enough to wrap over, arround and under the brad head. Being a heavier foil, it doesn't require an adhesive.

Mom / Mother / Mother-to-Be Quotes

2009-01-06T19:29:00.000-08:00

These come from a Page-a-Day calendar. Enjoy!

1. Anyone who thinks the art of conversation is dead ought to tell a child to go to bed. - humorist Robert Gallagher
2. Motherhood: All love begins and ends there. - poet Robert Browning
3. I must take issue with the term ‘a mere child,’ for it has been my invariable experience that the company of a mere child is infinitely preferable to that of a mere adult.
- writer Fran Lebowitz
4. Men are what their mothers made them. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
5. Having a family is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain. - comedian Martin Mull
6. Misery is when you make your bed and then your mother tells you it's the day she's changing the sheets. - writer Suzanne Heller
7. You know you're a mom when...
You cry at all first for the firstborn: the first day of kindergarten, the first school bus, the first sleepover - in other words, every small step that takes your baby away.
8. Mother - that was the bank where we deposited all our hurts and worries. - Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage
9. The surest way to get your teenage son to be quiet? When he gets home, ask him where he's been. - Anonymous
10. Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city. - George Burns
11. Raising kids is a mother of a job... Clearly it does take a village. And a lot of coffee. - Amy Rosenthal
12. My mother never told me 'how' to live, she just lived, and I watched and learned how to live myself. - Anonymous
13. My mother was the making of me. - Thomas Edison
14. One of the sad realities of being a parent is that the same stuff you know is exciting, educational, and enriching in your child's life is often messy, smelly, and exhausting to deal with. - Joyce Maynard
15. The best moments for imparting wisdom aren't ones that are planned, they're the ones that happen spontaneously. - Anonymous
16. I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that remanded the best that I could bring to it. - Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
17. Home is where teenagers go to refuel. - Anonymous
18. It is amazing how quickly the kids learn to drive a car, yet are unable to understand the lawn mower, snow blower, or vacuum cleaner. - magician/performer Ben Bergor
19. I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. - Abraham Lincoln
20. Love the whole world as a mother loves her only child. - unknown
21. Motherhood is the second oldest profession in the world. It never questions age, height, religious preference, health, political affiliation, citizenship, morality, ethnic background, marital status, economic level, convenience, or previous experience. - humorist Erma Bombeck
22. My mother's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it. - comedian Buddy Hackett
23. There are only two things a child will share willingly - communicable diseases and his mother's age. - pediatrician/writer Benjamin Spock
24. There are three ways to get something done: do it yourself, emply someone, or forbid your children to do it. - writer/editor Monta Crane
25. No matter how old you are, you still want your mom to be proud of you. - book quote
26. Death, taxes and childbirth! There's never any convenient time for any of them - wirtier Margaret Mitchell.
27. The best compliment to a child or a friend is the feeling you give him that he has been set free to make his own inquiries, to come to conclusioins that are right for him, whether or not they coincide with your own. - Alistar Cooke
28. I believe tht if I keep a stack of parenting books on my nightstand and another two shelves' worth crammed into my booksace, then my children, simply by occupying the same airspace as such wisdom, will become angelic and obedient. - writer Michele Sbrana
29. Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult. - Charlotte Whitton, former mayor of Ottawa
30. Boys: of all wild beasts, the most difficult to manage. - Plato
31. If it's not one thing, it's your mother. - bumper sticker.
32. Each of my kids was so different that none prepared me for the next. Not only that, but I messed up in completely different ways with each of them. - Anonymous
33. Children have never been very good at listening to adults, but they never failed to imitate them. - writer James Baldwin
34. A wise parent humors the desire for independent action, so as to become the friend and advisor when his absolute rule shall cease.
35. You know you're a mom when...you're no longer surprised to find yourself talking to strangers about poop, breast pumps, stretch marks, and your most secret worries.
36. There are times when parenthood seems nothing but feeding the mouth that bites you. - Writer Peter DrVries
37. Another good thing about being poor is that when you are seventy your children will not have declared you legally insane in order to gain control of your estate. - Woody Allen
38. Human beings are the only creatures on earth that allow their children to come back home. - Bill Cosby
39. I love all my children, but some of them I don't like. - Lillian Carter, mother of President Jimmy Carter
40. Snow an adolescence are the only problems that disappear if you ignore them long enough. - Columnist Earl Wilson
41. Sometimes people ask me: 'Dave, what is the essence of parenthood?' I always answer: 'Lowering your standards.' - Humorist Dave Barry
42. Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven. - Orator/Clergyman Henry Ward Beecher
43. Sometimes the laughter in mothering is the recognition of the ironies and absurdities. Sometimes, though, it's just pure, unthinking delight. - writer Barbara Schpiro
44. A woman came to ask the doctor if a woman should have children after thirty-five. He said, 'Thirty-five children is enough for any woman.' - comedian Gracie Allen
45. The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook. - philosopher/psychologist William James
46. Art is the child of Nature; yes, her darling child, in whom we trace the features of the mother's face, her asoect, and her attitude. - poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
47. One of the greatest unexpected pleasures of breastfeeding is how it slows down time. The zen of motherhood: Eight to ten times a day, you get to kick back and let down. - writer Kate T. Morgan
48. I'm not going to vacuum 'til Sears makes one you can ride on. - comedian Roseanne Barr
49. Many children, many cares; no children, no felicity. - Chinese proverb
50. All parents believe their children can do the impossible. They thought it the minute we were born, and no matter how hard we've tried to prove them wrong they all think it about us now. And the really annoying thing is they're probably right. - cartoonist Cathy Guisewite
51. My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint. - humorist Erma Bombeck
52. It's inevitable that you will let your children down. No one brings up children without doing grievous things... But children are resilient - you don't lose your child through one mistake. - child psychiatrist Robert Shaw
53. As far as I can tell, there are no logical reasons to have children... They're worse than men. They like you for a while otherwist known as the "Happy Meal Years,' when they can be bough for $1.99. They love you then they leave you. And most often you're broke as hell by the time they go. - Felicia Blasi in Ophelia's Mom, by Nina Shandler
54. I cook everything my mother's way. She cooks her mother's way. And we both learned from our mothers-in-law. Our recipes and they carry history with them. - chef Annie DeRoberts
55. My other has always been unhappy with what I do. She would rather I do something nicer, like be a bricklayer. - Mick Jagger

Things ALL mothers say...

You can't start the day on an empty stomach.
Who do you think you are?
Two wrongs do not make a right.
You've got some explaining to do.
You're not going anywhere until you clean up this mess.
I can't hear myself think!

Overheard Mom:

There should be a special club for those of us who've read "Goodnight Moon" twice each night for over a year.
Lamaze classes to ease the agonizing pain of deliver? What a joke. I'll tell you what Lamaze is good for: When you're stuck on a grocery line with a screaming toddler and absolutely all you can do is take deep breaths.
My kids didn't grow gradually; they took great, unexpected leaps forward (and sometimes backward) that always caught me by surprise.
My kid invented the 'mother tax.' I have to pay him a quarter every time I eat something off of his plate without asking him first.
Like hell it gets easier! The kids just get bigger, moodier, dirtier, louder - and then, suddenly, like after a tornado, they're gone and it's way too quiet.
It happens like clockwork: I haul in five bags of groceries, put everything away, and as if on cue, my two boys stomp in open the fridge, and say, 'There's never anything to eat!'
Have you ever once read about nursing in a public toliet, changing a diaper on the sidewalk, or what it's like to ride public transit with vomit all over your blouse? None of the baby magazines and child care books give a clue how totally chaotic and insane new motherhood is. But what can, except going through it yourself?

From the Mom dictionary:

Jackpot: When the kids sleep over at Grandma's for the night.
Junk: Anything that belongs to Dad.
Magic: A child's kiss.
Ask your father: No
It all depends: Ask
Maybe: No
Later: Never
Afterbirth: When the hard part begins.
Baby: Dad, when he gets a cold; Mom's youngest child, even when he's (she's) 50.
Energy: The awesome vitality all children possess in abundance until asked to wash the dishes, pick up their clothes, or go out to get a carton of milk.

Moms Anonymous

Sometimes I make up a reason to go to the store right after dinner so that my husband has to handle the kids' bath an bed time. I drive veeeeery slowly and when I get there, I wander down every aisle and then pick the longest check-out line. - Becky, mother of 4
You'd think my three-year-old would be the one to lose it at the doctor's, but I had a complete mother meltdown. Between the wait, the screaming babies, the coughing toddlers - I just lost it. I half expected the nurse to give me a time-out.
I'm always one of the last moms in the carpool line.

A screaming baby is a blessing...

When the friendly life-insurance salesman rings the doorbell.
When your mother-in-law calls for an extended catch-up.
When your husband wants to describe every shot of his 36-hole day.

Good News: Every time you hand the baby to someone else, he starts to scream. Bad News: He likes you best!

Overheard Grandmother: Don't stress the small stuff... 'cause, looking back, believe me - 99% of it is small stuff!

High crimes against teenage boys:

Noticing any change in his appearance or grooming habits.
Implying in any way that he has a crush on someone.
Using the word "awesome" in front of his friends.

How to get your child's attention:

Pick up the phone.
Sit down at the computer.
Start to make dinner.
Ask for some private time.

The parent/teacher conference:

What the teacher says: Ashley is quite the chatterbox! I've moved her desk next to mine to that the other students can concentrate. She's much more interested in what everyone else is doing than in her own work. We're trying to address that. What the mom hears: She'll be the next Oprah!

Motherhood: A job description!

Must possess the physical stamina to keep pace with a toddler on a tricycle, a preadolescent on a soccer team, a teenager on God-knows-what, while producing three square , balanced , tasty, and nutritious meals every day for a minimum of 18 years.
Must possess basic working knowledge of first aid, product safety, playground physics, childproof, tamper-proof, and adult-proof packaging, and fervently believe in the magical healing power of ice packs.
Must be able to endure being despised, ignored, irrelevant - at least until someone really needs a ride, at which point you'll instantly become "the greatest."

Non-Hallmark Card Verses

2009-01-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

Got these from my sister-in-law. Some are funny, some are insulting, you decide whether you want to use them. :)

1. I always wanted to have someone to hold, someone to love. After meeting you ...
(inside card) I changed my mind

2. I must admit, You brought religion into my life ...
(inside card) I never believed in Hell until I met you

3. As the days go by, I think how lucky I am ...
(inside card) That you're not here to ruin it for me

4. Congratulations on your promotion. Before you go ...
(inside card) Will you take the knife from my back? You'll probably need it again

5. Someday I hope to marry ...
(inside card) Someone other than you

6. Happy birthday! You look great for your age ... (inside card) Almost lifelike!

7. When we were together, you said you'd die for me ... (inside card) Now we've broken up, I think it's time to keep your promise

8. We've been friends for a very long time ...
(inside card) What do you say we stop?

9. I'm so miserable without you ...
(inside card) It's almost like you're still here

10. Congratulations on your new bundle of joy ... (inside card) Did you ever find out who the father is?

11. You are such a good friend, if we were on a sinking ship and there was only one life jacket ... (inside card) I'd miss you terribly and think of you often

12. Your friends and I wanted to do something really special for your birthday ...
(inside card) So we're having you put to sleep

13. Happy Birthday, Uncle Dad! (Available only in Alabama, Mississippi, and West Virginia)

14. Looking back over the years we've been together, I can't help but wonder ...
(inside card) What was I thinking?

15.Congratulations on your wedding day! ...
(inside card) Too bad no one likes your husband

16. How could two people as beautiful as you ... (inside card) Have such an ugly baby?

Uses for Fiber / Ribbon

2009-01-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

Feel free to email me with additional ideas for this list...

1. Map out your vacation route with fiber threaded through eyelets.
2. Use as laces on paper-pieced shoes.
3. Make a frame around a matted photo.
4. Tie through the hole of a tag.
5. Use in a sports scene as a basketball hoop, soccer net, or to make a fishing pole.
6. Create grass or trees.
7. Spell out a title using fibers to stitch around letters.
8. Wrap around a corner accent.
9. Make hair for paper dolls.
10. Use as string for balloon die cuts.
11. Tie lassos for western pages.
12. Create seaweed on an ocean or vacation page.
13. Attach a tail to a kite.
14. Build a mountain/water outline.
15. Use as rope for a tug of war scene.
16. Ropes on a swing.

Uses for Eyelets & Brads

2009-01-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

70 uses for eyelets & brads

1. connectors on paper piecing for moveable parts
2. attaching vellum
3. accents on journal blocks
4. to "hang" things from
5. center of flowers
6. center of letters
7. spell out words (outline letters)
8. corners of picture mat
9. eyes of paper dolls
10. nails in a fence
11. earrings for a paper doll
12. belly button jewel for a paper doll
13. "stone" in a ring
14. buttons on a snowman
15. decoration on a child's ball
16. stepping stones on a garden layout
17. attach a fiber to a brad to make a yo-yo
18. attach elements on a page by wrapping wire or fiber
19. to form "bullets" for a list of things
20. as an accent on the tail of a letter
21. in the hole of a tag
22. white - as stars on a black or navy blue sky
23. white - as dropping snowflakes
24. light blue - as falling raindrops
25. orange - as pumpkins
26. white - as moonbeams
27. jeweled belt on a paper doll
28. brown - as chocolate chips on a cookie
29. toppings on a pizza
30. M & Ms
31. buttons on a shirt
32. decorations on an Easter egg
33. decorations on a Christmas tree
34. purple - grapes in a cornucopia
35. lights on top of a police car or fire truck
36. center of a pinwheel
37. center of tires
38. tires on a toy car
39. end of antenna on a bug
40. center of fiber spider web
41. hair ornament on a girl paper doll
42. the "dot" on an i or j
43. attach handle to a basket
44. to attach fibers or lacing something together
45. attach a sign to a post
46. rocks
47. center of propeller on an airplane
48. on serendipity squares
49. sesame seeds on a bun
50. jeweled skirt on a paper doll
51. use as a spider and paint a face on it with the legs behind it or use wire for it's legs
52. dots on a ladybug
53. as fillers
54. use as nails on wood (like haunted house windows)
55. Christmas Bulbs on a tree paper piecing
56. eye on a frog
57. use to embellish the corner of tags or
58. borders or
59. titles
60. Attach fabric, twistel or lace to paper
61. use star brads to replicate a night sky
62. ends of a hammock
63. use on butterfly wings
64. oval nail heads as Easter Eggs
65. Buttons on a dress
66. shoe buckle
67. dots on a clown suit doll or paper piecing
68. sprinkles on an ice cream cone
69. sprinkles on a cupcake
70. use seashell nail heads on paper torn sand paper to create a beach look

Ways to Use Slide Mounts

2008-12-31T19:25:00.000-08:00

These are great. I was thinking these would apply to small frames, also...

1. stamp words on
2. ink on
3. color with permanent markers
4. cover with patterned paper or cardstock
5. paint with acrylic paint
6. sand
7. emboss
8. cover with fabric
9. tie ribbons or fabric scraps on
10. wrap wire around
11. frame a small picture or stamped image
12. frame an embellishment
13. accent a title, another example here
14. make a shaker
15. make a frozen shaker
16. frame a charm
17. frame a card sentiment, another example here
18. punch holes and hang beads from
19. frame small photo-realistic patterned papers
20. wrap with fiber or ribbon - partially or completely
21. cover with microbeads
22. cover with aluminum foil
23. turn into a fridge magnet
24. make a mini book
25. make a shadow box
26. cover with adhesive and sand
27. color with Craf-T metallic rub-ons
28. color with Alcohol Inks (polished stone technique)
29. cover or embellish with word stickers
30. frame a transparency
31. frame a sticker
32. hand a tag from it
33. cover with glitter
34. cover with gold leaf
35. embellish with or frame a button
36. apply rub-on letters or stickers
37. paint with acrylic paint and then crackle medium
38. embellish with a silk flower or punch art
39. hang a word chime or embellish with a word chime
40. frame sentiment, word or stamped image on vellum
41. hinge open and use double
42. hinge open and cut to separated into two pieces
43. place side by side and up and down in a grid
44. decoupage
45. create a border for a scrapbook page
46. embellish a tag, another example here
47. cover with magic mesh
48. frame a child's thumbprint
49. use a hinge on the top so slide can be opened to reveal something else
50. use as a window frame onto another page or the inside of a card
51. stamp with a script stamp
52. stipple with ink or paint
53. sponge with ink or paint
54. frame pressed flowers
55. spray paint with regular paint
56. spray with dimensional paint - make it stone, webbing spray, make it suede, etc.
57. frame a portion of a photo index print
58. embellish an envelope or library pocket
59. highlight a certain portion of patterned paper (for example, an image or portion of text) without trimming it
60. highlight a certain portion of a picture another example here
61. embellish with a favorite character (Pooh, Mickey, etc) sticker or paper piecing
62. embellish a mini file folder
63. add laser cut words
64. wrap with cord
65. wrap with tulle
66. embellish with quilling
67. wrap with embroidery floss
68. wrap with waxed string, yarn
69. turn it so the rectangle is vertical on your project
70. tie two or more together with ribbon or fiber
71. link together with wire or jump rings
72. have a paper doll/paper piecing person hold it as a sign
73. cover with wood grain paper and sitck a popsicle stick out the bottom as a sign
74. cover with cork
75. frame a tiny word collage/word art
76. use for a travel theme scrapbook (think: going over to relatives' house to see their vacation slides, LOL)
77. frame a monogram or stencil
78. frame a small shell or sand dollar
79. frame a definition
80. get the sewn look: sewn of cardstock or patterned paper and then adhere to slide mount
81. highlight a portion of a stamped image (spotlight technique) , another example here
82. embellish with or frame a page pebble or acrylic tile
83. frame or cover with textured/embossed/handmade paper
84. frame a series of action shots or words or letters
85. use in a scrapbooking or card sketch for any small square element
86. frame a portion of a paint chip, perhaps to highlight a cool color name?
87. frame kids' school pictures or one kid on a class/group picture
88. stick on a present to frame the "to/from" info
89. adhere to an altered clip board, altoid tin, bulletin board, microscope slide mailer, coin folder, lunch box, CD, etc.
90. use as a tag for an altered paint can
91. fill with easter hay under acetate
92. pass ribbon/fiber through both sides and string across your page/card
93. collage! collage! collage!
94. frame a piece of screen or fabric mesh
95. frame a silk flower
96. frame a title or focal photo for a mini album
97. embellish a square in a color blocked design
98. embellish/title a pocket page
99. embellish with or frame alphabet beads/charms
100. embellish with stamped numbers, number stickers, etc. to show a sequence
101. frame a tiny cross stitched piece
102. cover the edge of a card opening that opens in a non-traditional way (e.g. a gatefold) to use as a tab
103. frame spangles, glitter, tiny die cuts, punches, tiny tags, confetti, seeds, etc under acetate 104. frame or cover with real or faux postage
105. cover with sculpy or paper clay
106. apply UTEE and stamp into, crack for cool effect!
107. apply bugle beads in a zig zag pattern
108. fill in with dimensional glaze
109. fold back double-sided paper that covers slide
110. embellish a large stencil letter
111. hang a charm to be removed for a gift
112. hang metal embellishments
113. frame a word tile or metal word or word plaque
114. frame a clock face
115. frame shrink art
116. color with paint markers
117. edge with metallic paint markers
118. frame punch art
119. hand write on
120. adhere with or embellish with eyelets/brads/rivets, more examples here
121. use themed buttons
122. embellish with Dymo label tape or look-a-like stickers/fonts
123. embellish with letter tiles
124. embellish with photo corners
125. embellish with ribbon slide
126. embellish with dog tags
127. alternate with photos to frame an entire scrapbook page
128. frame a coin
129. hang from a safety pin
130. frame a photo and cover with vellum
131. embellish a bookmark
132. embellish with tinsel
133. embellish with metal clips, tags, etc
134. cover with printed vellum without cutting the rectangle out of the middle
135. embellish with or frame magentic poetry
136. frame a playing card
137. embellish with imitation greenery, skeleton leaves etc
138. embellish with faux jewels/flat beads
139. cover with/embellish with twill tape
140. embellish with a small metal label holder
141. cover with origami paper
142. cover with serendipity paper
143. brayer rainbow ink on
144. frame a piece of mica or make a mica window that opens to the inside of a card
145. fill inside with stickles or glitter glue
146. edge with glitter glue/stickles
147. cover with mylar
148. cover with a digital photo printed on your home computer
149. frame a woven/fabric label
150. embellish a matchbook card or mini album
151. embellish with mosaic tiles
152. create a photo montage
153. frame a date
154. collage with other basic shapes/tags/frames
155. embellish with a monogram
156. create an accordian fold mini book: 2 pages - here and here
157. weave strips of patterned paper through the slide
158. frame an image enhanced with liquid applique
159. use in the center of a big funky flower
160. embellish with stamped aida cross-stitch fabric
161. frame a mis-sized sentiment for a playful effect
162. make a ribbon hanger
163. embellish with a photo anchor
164. accent a focal photo
165. frame items stamped on a transparency
166. embellish with a simple die cut
167. staple ribbon on
168. hang with fiber from a brad like a picture on a wall
169. embellish with ephemera such as a ticket stub
170. melt with heat tool
171. faux (pen) stitching
172. use in pairs
173. embellish an altered notebook
174. embellish with jute/twine
175. use as a holder for removable tags
176. stamp with a background stamp
177. frame an epoxy/acrylic sticker/token
178. layer slides together
179. highlight a large grouping of photos
180. frame a small paper piecing
181. embellish a small tri-fold card - slides hold tiny pictures
182. frame a piece of FILM!!!

Bits and Tips #1

2008-12-30T08:13:00.001-08:00

For those of you who have Nesties and want to emboss, did you know that you could just flip the die over after cutting and use a bone folder to make the embossing stand out?
(From Elaine)

Fillers for Gift Baskets, Paint Cans, Lunch Boxes

2008-12-29T18:06:00.000-08:00

Here are lots of ideas to fill a paint can, lunch box, or gift basket. These ideas are not my own, but surely stimulate the brain. Have fun with these...

Lunch Box Ideas: card organizer,yearly planner,year of memories,christmas planner (Receipts, Shopping Lists, Recipes, Crafts, Gift Ideas, Wish Lists, Calendar of Events, Teacher Gift Ideas, Christmas Card List additions, Gifts to Make, Gift Closet Inventory, Christmas Outfits, Menu, Christmas Card/Gift Photos, Decorating, Coupons), christmas traditions, love notes, Easter memories, Mother's day, Father's day, summer memories. vacation memories, thanksgiving memories, box of blessings/things we are thankful for, winter memories, bunco, best friends, party planner, wedding planner (bride, bridesmaids, groom, ushers, flowers, ceremony, music, family, guests, gifts/registry, legal, photo/video, receipts/resources, reception, cake, stationery, calendar), wedding memories (bride, bridesmaids, groom, ushers, flowers, ceremony, music, family, guests, gifts/registry, legal, photo/video, receipts/resources, reception, cake, stationery, calendar), marriage advice (great for a shower or at the reception), pregnancy planner/keepsake, parenting advice (great for a shower), baby's first year, keepsake holder, baby's firsts (smile, food, haircut, step, toy, etc), babysitter box, welcome wagon for new neighbors, garden journal/planner, home improvement/dream house, scrapbook planner, scrapbook inventory, stamp inventory, magnetic stamp storage, coupon holder, recipe box (with a weights and measures list in the lid), weekly meal planner w/recipes box, weight loss journal/recipe box, beauty tips, grandparents box, pets (shot record, pedigree), teacher's planner, school memories, sports memories(Kid's activities), memories (dance, music, camp, etc), household info (important numbers, info, receipts, etc), mom's planner, address file, scrapbook swaps/rak/cjs, teen girl, college memories.

Here are paint can ideas:I made a paint can for my DD's teacher that included "stress relievers".
--chocolate--Tylenol--hand lotion--magazine--etc...

You can use them for Teacher's gifts and put some supplies in them, home-baked cookies for the holidays, Christmas gift wrapping (Every year my grandmother used to buy us pajamas for Christmas so I thought it would be a good idea to put them in a paint can decorated for the Holidays), dog biscuits, a movie night (put a bag of microwaveable popcorn, a Blockbuster gift card, candy, etc inside), a gift for a coffee drinker (starbucks gift card, coffee mug, coffee grounds, chocolates). These are just a few of the things that popped into my head but I know there are lots more. I also have one decorated in my scrapbook room that I throw all my spare change in and use it to buy scrapbook supplies.

Baby gifts.. I fill them with soaps shampoos etc. and a mini album! Then on the tag I put ONCE YOU EMPTY the pail you can replace with momentos that your baby outgrows for SAFE KEEPING!
The paint can I made I used as a gift bag. I made it for a baby boy and put an outfit, some pacifiers, 4 oz bottles, and a few other things.

I've been asked to make one as a labor and delivery survival kit. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, stridex wipes (for the oil slick on the forehead after birth), puzzle book, FILM, etc.

I did several last year for Christmas for teen girls - a tiny shower gel, bath squishy, hair thingies, comb. If the lid wouldn't fit - I just made my own gift bags out of plain white ones with stamps on the outside using acrylic paint!

I also did a teacher one - with pens, a post it note pad, fancy paper clips, etc.

I plan on making one for the neighbors son this year - game kit - deck of cards, dice and anything else tiny and game related I can find! Usually from the $ store!

I have done what others said for baby gifts too - bath products, lotion, wash clothes.

I scan the isles at the $ Store for goodie ideas.

I did a mini paint can for Destination Sticker Designs and put an ABC album in it. Made little 3x4 flash cards for the album.

We are using them as gift ‘bags’, putting little trinkets for the grandkids at Cmas.
Here's a few ideas I have saved...Movie Night can, popcorn, candy/chocolate, DVD, gift certificate to local video store, pops, snack, mixed nuts...

TEEN VANITY CAN: facial wash, sea breeze-astringent, deodorant, mouth wash, dental floss, toothbrush, toothpaste, nail clippers, nail files, bath poofies, hair gel, hair spray...

BOOK READER CAN: book light, bookmark, snack, book gift certificate for bookstore...

GARDENING CAN: gloves, seed packs, bulbs, trowel, liquid fertilizer, kneeling pad, plant markers, hand lotion, sun visor...

SPA CAN: gel eye mask, Tea (herbal)Bubble bath, Lotion, bath puffy, bath salts, back scrubber, candles, Music, codloofah...

COFFEE LOVER CAN: flavored coffees, mug or travel mug, flavored creamers, biscotti cookies, Starbuck's gift card...

GET WELL CAN: puzzle books, tea, honey, sticks, pencils / pens, magazines, book, mad libs, aspirin, cough drops, Kleenex, hot water bottle, TV guide, DVD...

COOKIE CAN: various homemade cookies, recipes for the cookies, bag chocolate chips, frosting tube, sprinkles, cookie cutters...

GOURMENT CHEF CAN: exotic spices, infused oils, gourmet chocolate, fancy measuring spoons, cookbook, spatulas, oven mitts, apron, chef's hat...

TEACHER CAN: small notepads, aspirin, teacher-good job stickers, pens, pencils, coffee mug, gift certificate for a mani/pedi...

MY NAILS CAN: nail polish, polish remover, nail clippers, emery boards, cotton balls, cuticle sticks, cuticle cream, hand lotion, gift certificate for a mani/pedi...

HOT STUFF CAN: various hot salsa's, dips, sauces, etc, chips, small salsa bowls...

OFF TO COLLEGE CAN: pens, pencils, mouse pad, wash cloths, hand towels, snacks, phone card to call home, nail clippers, book light, microwave soup, fuzzy socks, book, magazine, mad libs...

AROMA CAN: candles, incense, incense burner, potpourri, candle holder, room spray, drawer sachets, potpourri...

SNACK CAN: various snack favorites, chips, chocolate, nuts, whatever the persons favs are...

BABY CAN: onesies, receiving blanket, socks-booties, bibs, rubber ducky, rattle, powder, lotion, baby bath, washcloths, small brag book, teddy bear, shampoo, tree seedling to grow with baby...

TEA LOVER CAN: various teas, teacup, infuser/strainer, short bread, honey sticks, biscotti, teapot, small tea towel, spoon...

FISHERMAN CAN: fishing line, clippers, license holder, floaters, hooks, lures, snacks...

FITNESS FREAK CAN: headband, power bars, shoelaces, socks, foot powder, wristbands, fitness magazine, hand weights, video, jump rope, sports drink, yoga tape, stretching rope, water bottle, chain spray, (biker)gloves, (biker)spoke tools, (biker)tire patch kit...

CHEER UP CAN: day book, tissues, candy, small stuffed toy, book, movie, cd, bubble bath, candle...

KIDS ART CAN: crayons, paints/ brushes, playdoh, small color book, small pad of paper, stickers, glitter pens, construction paper, glue sticks, popsicle sticks, yarn or ribbon...

GOLFER CAN: Brass/nylon brush, divot tool w/brush, ball markers, spike wrench, snacks, golf towel, wood tees, balls, ball pickup, club covers, gift certificate to a day of golf...

FOOT PAMPER CAN: callous cream, foot soak, salt, foot scrub, foot roller, foot brush, lotion, pumice stone, nail polish, toenail clippers, pedicure certificate...

WRITERS CAN: engraved pen, handmade journal, book light, stationary set, wax sealing set...

HONEYMOON -- LOVERS CAN: gourmet chocolate, sensual lotions, candles, bath salts, bubble bath, frame, love songs CD, wine glasses, wine / champagne, cheese, crackers, warming lotions-oil, strawberry whip cream, body paint, body dust, kissing potions, featherheart, shape soap, massage oil, nightie...

PHOTOGRAPHERS CAN:film, gift certificate to get film developed, lens cloth, filters, small frame, lens dust blower...

HOUSEWARMING CAN: gift certificate to Home Depot or similar, take out menus for local restaurants, address labels or custom made return stamp, candle (Yankee-home sweet home), small plants, seeds, monogrammed hand towels...

SCRAPPIN CAN: film/ disposable camera, hermifix tabs, glue dots, small frame, fiber assortment, embellishment assortment, gift certificate or subscription...

ENGAGEMENT/ BRIDAL CAN: bridal planner, Advil, magazine, wedding music CD, phone card, gift certificate for a relaxing day, garter, ring pillow, lace handkerchief...

WEDDING DAY EMERGENCY KIT: clear nail polish to fix stocking runs, bobby pins, tampons/pads, tissues, safety pins, razor, static removing spray, stain remover, towelettes, travel size hair spray, travel size deodorant, travel size aspirin, clear band aids, backup pair of stockings, nail file, waterproof mascara, boutonniere/corsage pins, disposable camera, antacid, extra earring backs, small scissors, eye drops, needle & thread, comb, mirror...

A survival kit as you enter your 60’s (adjust to fit age)
Almond joy – may your 60th birthday be a joyful celebration
Antacid: for when you have too much fire at night
Aspirin – for all the new little aches and pains
Baby food – to help you adjusts to softer foods
Bandaid – to heal life’s booboos
Confetti – don’t go to pieces just because you’re 60
Lifesavers – may all the days of the rest of your life be the very BEST of your life
Lollipops – to lick the 60th birthday blahs
Marbles – for when you lose yours
Metamucil – for that “regular” feeling
Polident tablet – for that “dazzling” smile
Rubberband – to give you your flexibility back
“Special”dark chocolate – each birthday just makes you more and more “special”
Starburst candy – for extra energy
Toothpicks – to help prop your eyes open so you don’t fall asleep

Shipping Charges by Site

2008-12-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

Many of us get very frustrated with the current shipping that stamp & scrapbook stores charge us. Often it's a flat fee that is so high it is higher than the cost of the items ordered. So several of us got together and made up this list of companies that have low/actual/flat fee postage, and/or free postage (often with a minimum). If you know of a company that we can add to this list, please email me.

The companies listed below charge actual shipping or low shipping on their

rubber stamp and scrapbook orders.

ALL THAT SCRAPS http://www.allthatscraps.com/ ($2-$3)
BONNIE'S BEST http://www.bonniesbest.com/ (actual)
CREATIVE ENDEAVORS http://dreamscrapbooks.myshopify.com/

CREATIVE PLAY https://www.creativeplaystamps.com/contents/show/1 (begins at $3.99)

CRICUT MACHINE http://www.cricutmachine.com/index.php (begins at $2.69)
ELLEN HUTSON http://www.ellenhutson.com/servlet/StoreFront
EUREKA STAMPS http://eurekastamps.com/ (low)
EYELET OUTLET http://eyeletoutlet.com/shipping.html
FLOURISHES http://www.flourishes.org/servlet/StoreFront ($6 flat rate up to $50)
HAMBO STAMPS http://www.hambostamps.com/index.htm (actual)
HMSTAMPS http://www.hmstamps.com/ (actual)

I BRAKE FOR STAMPS http://www.ibrakeforstamps.com/ (has base charge, but has been known to refund postage on small orders)

JOAN'S GARDENS http://www.joanscreations.blogspot.com/

(Good international rates, too)

LITTLE PAPER SHOP http://littlepapershop.com/
PURPLE ONION DESIGNS http://www.purpleoniondesigns.com/ (actual)

ROSES ON PAPER http://www.rosesonpaper.com/ (shipped by weight)
RUBBER STAMP TAPESTRY http://www.rubberstamptapestry.com/
SMARTWORKS http://www.smartrubber.com/smartsite.htm (Actual)
STAMP BUZZ http://www.thestampbuzz.com/
STAMP FRANCISCO http://www.stampfrancisco.com/
STAMPING PLACE http://stampin.com/
STARVING ARTIST STAMPS http://starvingartistamps.com/index.html

SWEET PEA STAMPS http://www.sweetpeastamps.com/ (Shipping is $1.50 for US orders)
THIRD COAST RUBBER STAMPS http://thirdcoastrs.com/
TOUCHE' RUBBER STAMPS http://www.touchestamps.com/ (low)
VERVE VISUAL http://www.shopverve.com/ (low)
WHIPPER SNAPPER DESIGNS http://www.whippersnapperdesigns.com/ ($8.95 flat rate up to $150)
YANKIWI http://www.yankiwi.com/index.php

These companies have FREE shipping. Some conditions may apply!

ALL THAT SCRAPS http://www.allthatscraps.com/ (Orders over $50)

BLOCKHEADS UM Rubber Stamps http://www.blockheadstamps.com/ (Orders over $125)

CORNISH HERITAGE FARMS http://www.cornishheritagefarms.com/intro.php (Orders over $35)
CREATIVE ENDEAVORS http://dreamscrapbooks.myshopify.com/ (Orders over $100)

CREATIVE PLAY https://www.creativeplaystamps.com/contents/show/1 (Over $50)

DOLLS & MINIS http://www.dollsandminis.net/servlet/StoreFront (Over $100) Good Flower Soft prices
EYELET OUTLET http://eyeletoutlet.com/shipping.html (Orders over $50)
FLOURISHES http://www.flourishes.org/servlet/StoreFront (Orders over $50)
HAMBO STAMPS http://www.hambostamps.com/index.htm (Click on shipping for details)
IMPRESSION OBSESSSION http://www.impression-obsession.com/ (Orders over $100)
KITCHEN SINK STAMPS http://www.kitchensinkstamps.com/ (Orders over $75)
LITTLE PAPER SHOP http://littlepapershop.com/ (Orders over $45)
PAPER TREY http://www.papertreyink.com/ (Orders over $50)
RIVER CITY RUBBER WORKS http://www.rivercityrubberworks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=shopping.basket ($3 starting shipping; free shipping on UM or cling mounted individual stamps)

ROSES ON PAPER http://www.rosesonpaper.com/ (Orders over $100)
STARVING ARTIST STAMPS http://starvingartistamps.com/index.html (Orders over $65)
THIRD COAST RUBBER STAMPS http://thirdcoastrs.com/ (Orders over $100)
TOUCHE' RUBBER STAMPS http://www.touchestamps.com/ (Orders over $100)
VERVE VISUAL http://www.shopverve.com/ (Orders over $50)
WHIPPER SNAPPER DESIGNS http://www.whippersnapperdesigns.com/ (Orders over $150)

Over 100 Ways to Use a Sizzix... or Cuttlebug... or Any Diecutter!

2008-12-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

These were originally ideas for the Sizzix, but I'm guessing they could be used with most of the current die cutting machines. I can't guarantee anything here, you'd need to experiment to see if they work for your machine. If you come up with a new idea, email me, and I'll add it. Kathleen

1. Use Sizzix to make fabulous titles on your school projects.
2. Make a scavenger hunt and mark the spots with Sizzix letters or shapes.
3. Label items in your house to help your children with word recognition. (This is also a great way to learn a new language for your upcoming trip to a foreign country.)
4. Make a felt board and die cut felt shapes to tell felt board stories.
5. Make a fishing game for your child's next birthday party.
6. Cut flowers with a hole in the center out of tissue and have kids make Hawaiian leis at a birthday party.
7. Cut geometric shapes and roll them up to make cool paper beads to use on any crafting project.
8. Glue a collage onto your children's furniture to make a one of a kind room.
9. Make dress up dolls for your kids (and the rest of the neighborhood too.)
10. Glue themed die cuts onto colored dowel rods and stick them in a pot or vase to use as a centerpiece.
11. Use the alphabets to make posters for your for sale or yard sale signs.
12. Sew two doll shapes together to make finger puppets.
13. Die cut Shrink Plastic and color to make earrings, necklaces, bracelets and charms. Tie these around the gift of a bottle of wine, or your cocktail glasses to differentiate who's glass is who's.
14. Die cut fabric to make personalized Christmas stockings (complete with names.), tree skirts, and ornaments to decorate your home with for the holidays.
15. Personalize your child's lunchbox or bags.
16. Make seasonal wall hangings, pillows or table runners to decorate your home or give as handmade gifts of the heart.
17. Die cut magnets from all your favorite Sizzix shapes. Fill the center holes with photos.
18. Make magnet birthday frames from any Sizzix frame, and fill it with the birthday boy or girl's photo during the month of their birthday.
19. Iron fusible bonding onto the back side of your fabric, then die cut. Iron these shapes onto your kids' pants, shorts, skirts and tops or t-shirts to make darling, custom clothing. This idea works well to personalize canvas bags and backpacks too.
20. Give the gift of Sizzix. Your friends will LOVE you.
21. Make personalized cards and gift bags for all of your gift giving. People really notice the difference.
22. Die cut your cardstock on the fold to make cute shaped cards and tags.
23. Die cut thin metals and foils. They look embossed.
24. Fold paper several times and place between the cutting blades to create accordion style cards.
25. Cut rubber and mount on wooden blocks to create your own rubber stamps. You can easily make a stamp with your family's name, or a phrase you often use for mass producing your own custom greeting cards.
26. Make themed goodie bags for birthday parties.
27. Make name tags for your next baby or bridal shower or mixer.
28. Create monogrammed stationary for yourself or your friends. They'll think of you each time they write a note.
29. Cut double sided tape, and dip into beads or glitter for a 3-D shimmery shape.
30. Make a chore chart, personalized for your child with his or her specific chores.
31. Make a calendar with your children to give to the grandparents for a special end of the year treat.
32. Die cut a shape to use as a tag tied to a gift bag with the recipient's name on it.
33. Decorate all of your letters and envelopes for the appropriate occasion or holiday.
34. Make your own Christmas cards.
35. Make your own baby announcements.
36. Make your own shower or graduation announcements.
37. Decorate your very own gratitude journal to remind you of what you're thankful for every day.
38. Make fabulous scrapbook pages.
39. Cut poly foam to create your own foam shapes. Attach these to visors, sandals and crafting projects.
40. Cut compressed sponge to make tubbie toys for your kids. Teach them their A B C's while you wash the dirt away.
41. Use Sizzix shapes to decorate your picture frames.
42. Use the circles to create tags from any material in any color. Try using metallic paper or thin metal for the outer circle. It'll look exactly like a more expensive, pre-made tag.
43. Cut shapes from white cardstock and let your kids use them to color on instead of a coloring book.
44. Use the negative shapes as photo frames.4
5. Layer and rotate 2 or 3 flowers on top of each other to create 3-D flowers.
46. Make custom kitchen towels by appliquéing fabric shapes onto plain towels. Blanket stitch around each image to secure. These make super seasonal gifts, and really celebrate festivity.
47. Use the Sizzix Machine to cut thin cork for dimensional shapes.
48. Cut shapes from clear plastic (like page protectors) and back them with paper cut from the same shape. Sew them together, placing confetti or buttons inside to make your own shaped shaker cards and tags.
49. Cut a jumbo tag (folding before the bottom cutting blade), and fold bottom up and top over to make a cute little purse. Try this using Terrifically Tacky Tape to create little beaded purses.
50. Personalize school binders and book covers.
51. Organize and label your drawers and storage containers. Imagine having all of your boxes labeled in your garage.
52. Use the smaller shapes as confetti that can sprinkle out of your cards and letters.
53. Place shapes inside clear glass ornaments for your Christmas tree. Try tying a few around the top of each ornament with fibers too.
54. Make great borders for cards and scrapbook pages.
55. Decoupage on anything using all your favorite shapes.
56. Teachers, use Sizzix to make personalized welcome signs on your new student's desks.
57. Create fun door decorations to surprise anyone on a special day.
58. Have your kids make their own my room signs for their doors.
59. Make a growth ladder chart to record how fast your kids are growing.
60. Use vellum to make great fairy and dragonfly wings.
61. Use the negative shapes around letters that you cut to create fun, boxed letter titles.
62. Die cut dozens of hearts and stick them to your sweethearts car on Valentine's day.
63. Die cut seasonal greetings and make banners to hang in your window throughout each year.
64. Make a giant calendar and give it as a gift to a coworker going on holidays or retirement. Decorate each day with a different die cut symbolizing fun things to do.
65. Use die cut letters to label storage bins for easy identification.
66. Make a bouquet of die cut flowers and give them as a gift to anyone. For an especially sweet touch, die cut daisies and write she/he loves me on every petal in the bouquet.
67. Die cut your own deck of memory-match cards. Make two cards with each die cut design on them, mix them up, deal them out and see if your memory is able to match all the pairs.
68. Die cut starfish shapes out of Terrifically Tacky Tape and dip them into sand. Hide them in your child's sand box for an afternoon adventure.
69. Die cut different sizes of circles and label them all as different coin values to help your kids learn how to count money.
70. Die cut a birthday or congratulatory greeting and adhere it to a friend's windshield.
71. Cut stars from wood veneer and paint with glow in the dark paint. Adhere to the ceiling of a child's room for a night time constellation.
72. Die cut shapes out of black and adhere them to dowel rods or straws. Use them to have a shadow puppet show.
73. Die cut different themed shapes and play guess what at a party with them. Blindfold the participants and whoever guesses the most correct shapes is the winner.
74. Die cut different themed shapes and play a memory game at a party with them. Show all the participants all of the shapes for 30 seconds and then hide them again. Whoever remembers the most shapes is the winner. Try this game at a baby shower with baby themed shapes.
75. Glue two symmetrical die cut shapes to the top of a pen or pencil. Make themed pencil toppers for a party.
76. Make fake spots for your dog and dress him up as a dalmation at Halloween.
77. Cut several squares, retangles or circles to make your own little mini books. These work great to dangle over the spine of your memory book to differentiate the theme or year of the album.
78. Make shaped bookmarks with dangly tassels to give to a special friend along with a treasured book.
79. Press little reindeer tracks in the snow at Christmas time using the circle with hoof like triangles cut out of them.
80. Decorate inexpensive craft paper to make your own fabulous custom wrapping paper. Just die cut compressed sponge and dip in paint, or stencil inside the negative outer shape.
81. Try making tiny beaded books out of any shape for a miniature keepsake.
82. Cut wood veneer or fine paper to unify a room's decor. For example, die cut lots of lovely hearts from hand made paper to match a romantic decor. Hot glue these to the ends of curtain rods, or cording to be used for tie-backs, or baskets, or even to the wall as a border at the top of the wall or at chair rail height. This works for themed party décor as well.
83. Die cut shapes and titles and make plant markers for your garden. Laminate your shapes to make them extra durable. What a fun way to memorize plant names, and remember what you've planted.
84. Let your kids use die cut shapes to design their own place mat. Laminate when you are finished for a long lasting treasure.
85. Die cut confetti shapes and themed shapes and sprinkle them onto a table to add festivity to any occasion. Cut some shapes out of foil for an even more festive look.
86. Cut large Sizzix shapes from cork board and adhere to the wall in a straight line or in a design, for a cork-board strip to pin up notes or children's art work.
87. Thinly roll out Makin's No Bake Clay using a rolling pin, and let dry for a day or so. Now use Sizzix to cut all sorts of clay shapes for cards, scrapbook pages or crafting projects.
88. Die Cut your own bumper stickers.
89. Make paper dog tags for your stuffed animals.
90. Make your own wine labels for your friends.
91. Create a paper bag luminaria. Just place your paper bag around your replacement cutting mat, and die cut seasonal shapes in the top center of your paper bag. Now the light from your candle will shine out of the shaped hole. Line them up and down your walkway to celebrate the season.
92. Make paper masks for parties and plays.
93. Make kid's games such as pin the tail on the dinosaur or pin the tail on the donkey.
94. Cut out lots of small shapes to use as gift bag filler. This will really add to the theme of your gift.
95. Die cut shapes and use them outside as a pattern for side walk chalk. Your children will make masterpieces.
96. Cut lots of shapes out of vellum and overlap them on your page to make a soft, collage background.
97. Cut lots of little squares and make your own mosaic. (This also works with other small shapes.)
98. Use the negative outline template from your die cut to place over cakes, cookies, cupcakes and other desserts to use as a mask for sprinkling powdered sugar. Gently lift the template and you've got gorgeous desserts with shaped powdered sugar designs.
99. Use the alphabets to create your own word search puzzle for your kids. Use letters to make a cute background for a scrapbook page, or a fun invitation. Place vellum over the words you'd like to highlight.
100. Use shrink plastic and any large frame to shrink into tiny frames. Apply magnet material to the backs and use these as fridge magnets or gifts for family members. (Remember to decorate with color before shrinking.)
101. Use shapes and numbers to create customized clocks to coordinate with your home decor or to give as gifts.And because once we started, we just couldn't stop, here are some extra ideas:
102. Make your own paper buttons using the circle die. Hole punch the desired configuration, thread with string, and you've got flat buttons you can use on your scrapbook pages. Stack several circles on top of one another to create 3-D buttons, or emboss with clear embossing powder for a shiny button.
103. Cut the entire Paper Doll Set to use with shrink plastic to make your own tiny doll sets. (Be sure to include all the animals, accessories and toys.) You could even poke holes in them before drying to create a My friends and Me charm bracelet. What a fabulous gift for children to make and give to a friend on their birthday.
104. Cut smaller shapes from thin metals to create your own charms.
105. Accessorize the Jumbo Traditional Tag into a shirt and tie for a Father's Day card.
106. Make shoe toppers by using leather or poly foam to cut out decorations. PaddlePunch with the Lace punch for laces to go through.
107. Make your own coasters: Use cork for bottom, and foam for top (punch two and adhere together).
108. Let your kids make their own holiday placemats using Sizzix shapes. Let them color with markers or chalks. It'll keep 'em busy while you finish that fabulous dinner, and make a fun and memorable table setting as well. Be sure to laminate before using for durable treasures you can use again and again.
109. Bath fun decals: Use with poly foam to make clings for the bathtub. When wet, these will temporarily stick to the sides of the tub/walls.
110. Cutting shapes out of compressed sponge and using them as little washcloths makes bath time cleaning fun.
111. Make your own hand-made air fresheners: Use thick cardstock or tag board to cut shape out. Place in baggie with scented oil dabbed on cotton balls and let sit for 24 hours. Punch hole in top and add cute ribbon. Hang these anywhere, and use them as gifts as well.
112. Make custom hair accessories to go with any outfit by using leather, fun foam, etc. to cut shapes out of and attach to scrunchies, elastics, barrettes, etc. Try cutting the center of the flower out, and looping your ponytail through it.
113. Magnetic letters: Punch alphabet out of magnetic sheets for great refrigerator letters for school or home.
114. Candle decorations: You can use heavy tissue paper to make cutouts for candles. Decoupage on candles for beautiful decorations and centerpieces. These also make wonderful hostess gifts.
115. Create easily identifiable luggage by die-cutting your name from a Sizzix alphabet and attaching it to your suitcase with packing tape. Try using smaller letters and Sizzix Jumbo Tags to make your own custom luggage tags. Laminate for durability.
116. Teachers can use Sizzix for letter association, calendar pieces, math skills, bulletin boards, etc.
117. Die cut shapes from Terrifically Tacky Tape and attach them to a candle votive. Use microfine glitter and micro mosaic beads to cover the candle, creating a spectacular beaded centerpiece or gift.
118. Die Cut shapes out of fun foam and piece them together to make fun summer glasses or headbands.
119. Make your own special deck of cards.
120. Create custom recipe cards containing your special family recipes. Print your recipe onto your choice of die cuts, and tie onto a package of homemade cookies.
121. Create themed place cards for your next dinner, party, baby shower or bridal shower. These would be perfect for holidays, too.
122. Send look-alike paper doll thank you cards that your friends will never forget.
123. Cut out Sizzix shapes from wallpaper and apply to walls in intervals to create a lovely and unique border.
124. Use the Sizzix foot die to create a trail through the house leading to a surprise. Try using green feet leading to a pot of gold (your child's favorite cereal), or tiny pink or blue feet to lead your husband to a positive home pregnancy test.
125. Create paper appliques on cards and scrapbook pages by stuffing die cut shapes with cotton batting, then stitching around the shape with a 1/4" seam allowance to create a quilted look.
126. Use paper that is sticky on one side (sticker paper or adhesive sheets), to cut out with Sizzix. Sprinkle with embossing power and heat with an embossing gun. You'll have a shiny embossed shape.
127. Cut a sheet of the squares, hearts, or circles, then layer them starting with the largest and ending with the smallest shape. Add a foam adhesive in between for a 3-D accent.
128. Die cut a square or circle and add an Alphabitty to the middle of it. Emboss with clear embossing powder to create a shiny alphabet tile.
129. Use photos of flowers, grass or rocks to cut Sizzix flowers, grass and rocks to create interesting realistic accents on projects.