confetti by lexi

flashback friday :: back to school

as soon as the girls get home from camp, it's time to start thinking about the first day of school.  in fact there are only four days between the two!  and actually those four days are more for them--i have teacher meetings to attend starting monday.  today's flashback is one of my all time favorite projects, and with school starting next week, i have to pull together a few of them very soon.  i create these little "back to school essentials" kits every year.  they include tylenol, mints, hand sanitizer, quarters for the coke machine, etc.  you know, any of those small things a teacher might really need (or want) at some point during those first days back.  of course, i always include chocolate nuggets with stamped labels.  this particular kit is from last year, but there are a couple more examples of the same thing in the various august and sepember archives.  i love this pencil stamp from a muse so much that i might just do them the same again this year!

have a great weekend!
:) lexi

original post: august 20, 2009

a*muse*a*palooza in review

it's taken me a couple of days, but i finally cleaned away the a*muse*a*palooza mess.  it was a controlled mess--piles of paper scraps, little mess ups, lots of stamps, and of course the pretty cards, too!  i'm so excited that i was able to post daily for all eight days!!  anyway, i loved seeing all of my amuse-bouche projects together, so i snapped a picture to share.  i'm impressed by the variety i was able to create.  halloween, christmas, and even a few for right now!  have you placed your order?  i'd love to hear what you chose!

:) lexi

amuse-bouche :: tis the season...

for giving gifts!  today's a*muse*a*palooza amuse-bouche is all about holiday gift packaging.  this is one of two new holiday labels (more red rubber cling--yay!), both so perfect for wrapping and packaging.  as i was thinking about what to create, i thought of the very nice acrylic box that my extra iphone charger came in and decided to recycle it.  the stickers peel off easily and the insides come right out, leaving a wonderfully clear and sturdy box.  i lined the inside width with the fabulous new candy cane paper, filling it with red tissue paper to wrap up a small gift.  then for the outside, i made a one inch band of evergreen, stamped and cut out the holiday label on chiffon green, and stuck it to the top of the band so it can slide off the box.  a few cranberry pretty pearls add a touch of red to the green label, and the perfect bit of bling.  easy peasy--and i can't wait to fill it up for someone this year!  be sure to check out the a muse news blog for more ways to stamp your gifts (another give-away, too!), as well as the blogs of my fellow muses--there are some really cute images to see today and they'll all be available online very soon!!

:) lexi

amuse-bouche :: sinful sweets

for today's amuse-bouche we're throwing a halloween party and you're invited!  every party should have sweet treats, but for halloween, it's even better to have sinful sweets, a muse style!  i love the size and look of this new sentiment and the three mice silhouette image is perfectly icky.  the project was a quickie, too, which is important if you're mass producing for a party.  it doesn't get much easier than stamping in black on slate for clean and simple halloween style.  i punched the corners and layered my stamped piece on orange for a pop of color and interest, and stuck it to a ready-made box.  mini twinkle stickers add just the right bit of spooky sparkle to finish it off.  minimal work, maximum look--now, all that's left is to fill it with something sinful!  don't forget to check the muses' blogs for more tricks & treats, as well as the a muse news blog.  there's another give-away, too...

party on!
:) lexi

fun in the sun!

i feel like i'm finally knocking things off of my list, including blog posting!  specifically, i really wanted to highlight this little book that was featured on the a muse news blog last week during the inspiring ideas for summer time.  for my non card item i was asked to create a trip journal.  so, i challenged myself to create it from scratch.  i started with the covers, covering two 4 x 6 pieces of recycled chipboard (notepad backings!) with matching pieces of the new cobalt card stock--it's such a gorgeous blue!  i had so much fun creating the title piece using the fancy alpha set, along with various summer images and the tiny numbers from the cupcake builder set.  the sun and the title are stamped directly on the white panel, while the palm tree and surfboard are cut out for perfect placement and a little depth.  the sand is a torn piece of the new wheat card stock--it's a perfect color for sand!  next i moved on to the inside...

since the purpose of the book was journaling, the school lined card stock was perfect for the inside pages.  i wanted two pages per day for a week long trip, so i cut two 4 x 6 pages from each of 7 pieces of card stock--that way, i would have 7 with a top margin to add the coordinating daily titles, as shown above, and 7 without to follow each titled one.  since the backs are blank, you could add drawings, clippings or small photos as you use it.  with that in mind, i bound it all together with my bind-it-all, choosing a larger than necessary wire so that there was room for the book to grow a little.

while the book was pretty complete at this point, a lightbulb went off.  i decided that if you were taking it on a trip, you might want to toss it in your purse, so an elastic band to hold it closed would be a good idea.  a couple of eyelets on the back with elastic strung and tied through are all you need!  of course, i only had white elastic and, while it looked fine, i thought green would look better, so i colored it with the same copic i used on the stamped images and voila!  matching green elastic.  i was really excited about this little book--i think it's so fun to have customized pieces like this for trips, parties, gifts, etc.  oh, the possibilities!

thanks for stopping by...
:) lexi

summer time essentials

 
remember the back to school essentials from the beginning of the school year?  i've done those little treats every august for many years, so i was excited to work on a new summer time version for my nephews' end of the year teacher gifts.  the essentials we decided to include:  book store gift cards, lip balm, and summer stamped nuggets, all tied to a bottle of flavored margarita mix.

of course, a cute tag was necessary, and the cabana and ready set sentiment from a muse said it perfectly.  i wanted the nugget labels to coordinate and speak summer, so i picked a few smaller summer images--sun, sand dollar, and beach sign--and randomly stamped them in blue, orange, and yellow to match the tag colors.  school's out for me, but if you're still looking for a fun gift idea, i hope this helps...

happy summer!
:) lexi

amuse-bouche :: pucker up!

today's amuse-bouche are all about valentine treats and wrapping 'em up a muse sea of love style!  for my valentine, i created a slider sleeve.  i've seen the idea before here and there, but i'm not sure where it originated.  anyway, i forgot to take an open picture of the one shown on the a muse news, so i quickly whipped up another so i could show you how it works!  for both of mine, i started out by making a simple sleeve to fit the contents--sweetarts in this one, gum in the original--and punched holes through both the front and back layers at the open top.  then in think simple a muse style, i added my stamped layer--pucker up is the perfect sentiment for sweetarts, since they're a bit sour, and the sea horse is just the cutest!  i went with stuck on you for the gum for the same punny reason!  before putting the treats in, i threaded a length of the new ocean polka dot ribbon through the holes, leaving it long enough to be pushed in with the candy package, while still having enough to tie at the top.  then i pushed the sweetarts in with the ribbon underneath and tied my bow.  now, when you pull on the bow, the sweet tarts slide up, too...

super cute, super easy, and super versatile!!  don't forget to check out the stuck on you gum version on the a muse news today, along with several other super cute valentine packaging ideas.  after that, click over to the muses' blogs too, for even more treats from the sea of love...

that's a wrap!
:) lexi

happy thanksgiving!

these were such a hit last year that my sil wanted a set for thanksgiving dinner at her parents' house this year.  i made them again for our kids' table, too--it's been a year, so hopefully the answers won't be too easy or boring!  i'll probably make a new one next year, though--and one for christmas this year too...

happy eating tomorrow!
:) lexi

a muse calendar at a glance

the a muse calendars are here!  for the last few years, a muse has created cute calendars and offered dowloadable variations for donations to worthy causes.  this year the calendar is back (and bigger!) with proceeds going to water 1st.  the calendar is offered in four different sizes, ready for you to put your creative stamp on it.  since the calendar is a 16 month calendar, including the school year portion of 2009, i was inspired to create a school year at a glance calendar, using 10 of the months.  the 4 bar size was just the right size for the job!  here's a close up of the top section...

i mounted them onto three different petite gingham papers, adding a title on school lined card stock (of course!).  words from the school time clear set were perfect additions to the birthday builder numbers to create a title: fun times '09 - '10 school is cool!"  i had the most fun going through my a muse collection to find a stamp to represent each month.  since i was mounting the calendars on full card stock, i wanted them to overlap the edge, so i focused on images that were bigger, and cut them out.  but there are so many small images if you prefer to stamp right on the calendar.  speaking of stamping on the calendar, i made note of special days on the calendar with two very small images.  the mini solid apple (from the school time clear set) is stamped in red over first & last days of school, as well as conference days.  tiny star, stamped in yellow, highlights days off; and stamped in blue, important special events and parties at or after school.  the details of these events are on my iphone calendar, but it's nice to see the big picture at a glance!

you can see the close ups of the other two sections on the a muse news blog, so instead of showing you those again here, i wanted to share an additional tip for creating these.  while the card stock is a nice and thick, it still bows a little under the weight of hanging from each other, so i added a strip of heavy duty cardboard to each section--at the top for the top piece, the bottom of the bottom piece, and the middle of the middle piece.  i used the back of an old legal pad!  the strips really help the calendar to hang nicely and lay flat against the wall.  this was such an easy and fun project!  and because the calendar is a download that i can print as much as i want, i can create more of these or something else completely different, like a purse calendar, a desk calendar, a planner, etc.  the possibilities are endless!  so head to a muse so you can donate & create, too...

:) lexi

iron on transfers take 2 ~ craft critique

it's time for another article on craft critique!  after my last t-shirt transfer review, i really wanted to test another brand, so that's exactly what i did.  this cute and simple little design is a very small doll shirt--i love that a muse cupcake and look at those bright colors!  click here to read all about it...

:) lexi

back to school

we got back home on sunday night and i jumped right in to teacher meetings and last minute school errands.  talk about a quick transition from camp to school!  anyway, today was the girls' first day, so as always, i wanted to create my "back to school essentials" treats for teachers.  purell, tylenol, mints, and of course, chocolate!  the pencil and school lined card stock from the recent a muse release were perfect for the job--an easy tag and really fun candy labels.  and we can't forget that polka dot sheer ribbon that i love so much!  i wonder if the teachers had to take the tylenol already...

thanks for stopping by!
:) lexi

for the bride to be!

one of the best things about stamping is having a studio full of stuff to create more stuff for any occasion.  we had a recent engagement in the family and in about 10 minutes i had this little notebook stamped up and ready to give to the bride to be.  she can use it in her purse to take notes on the fly when dealing with wedding details, or she can use it as a mini photo album to show off pictures of her new ring!  either way, it was a perfect little gift that she loved.  and it came together very quickly--i always love that!

best wishes...
:) lexi

credits:  all stamps from a muse, notebook from michael's??

happy father's day, dad!

my dad loves his harleys.  so when su! introduced the born to ride set way back when, i had to have it.  and every year, i try to think of something different to make with it.  last year, was a piece of art for his garage/showroom, another year was a photo album, and yet another, note cards.  he travels a lot, so i came up with luggage tags this year!  i wanted to keep them simple and include blue since that's his favorite color, and i thought a touch of ribbon would help him spot the luggage even easier.  i hope i can think of something else next year--any ideas??

:) lexi

iron on tshirt transfers ~ craft critique

we're back!  it was a fun week at the beach, but i'm glad to be home.  i've had quite a bit of catch up the past two days, wrapping up an invitation/party order and working on an article for craft critique.  that article will post some time this week, but i also had another one posted while we were gone.  internet access was hit or miss, and i was only able to write once, so i thought i'd share the link today in case you missed it.  i love to make personalized tshirts for the various parties i do, so the wilton ink jet tshirt transfers i use were the perfect product to review--click here to read all about it.  i even stamped a couple of the new a muse critters from the summer fun release on a transfer scrap for a very special alligator shirt!!  i still have a long list of fun stuff to share from my busy last month of school, so i hope to be back daily now that i'm home.  no guarantees, though--summer does have a way of messing with the schedule...

'nite!
:) lexi

year round tree: november

i can't believe i've totally ignored my year round tree since moving!  at first i couldn't find where i'd put the little ornaments and then when i found them, i didn't have sets for the fall months or the time to make them.  while babysitting my printer during a big printing job, i spied my bare tree and realized that several of the stamps from the fall saltbox studio sets were the perfect size and look for the tree, so i got busy stamping and coloring while waiting for the printing...

and now i have a new set of november ornies!  the little pilgrim faces and the corn from the kid's table started it off, but i really needed at least five different ones for variety.  the pumpkin and leaves are from give thanks.  the pumpkin was a no brainer, and i wanted the leaves to add a little more of a fall color to the set, but i did omit one acorn and cut off some of the stem to make the size and shape work better.

it's hard to see in the first picture, but i also made a wire topper to go with the set.  when creating these, i have to think of a shape that coordinates with the ornaments, and that is easy to create by bending wire--and that is still recognizable!  i think i did okay with the leaf.  well if you recognized it as a leaf, of course!  i'm so excited to look over and see the tree dressed for fall instead of looking like a regular christmas tree that didn't get packed in the right box!

:) lexi

thanks for dinner

inspired by the saltbox cards posted on the a muse news blog today, i decided to create a thanks for dinner favor.  when we're invited to dinner, i like to bring a little something--a bottle of wine, a box of candy, a set of note cards, anything i can get my hands on, depending on how much time i have!  i rummaged around my pantry for something to use and came up with this box of pomegranate & orange cream bark from whole foods.  my personal shopper (aka my husband) likes to bring home random sweets and treats and these caught my eye because of the orange sticker label and colors in the candy.  after a quick measuring, cutting and corner rounding, i had the perfect brown layer to place over the package label--covering the words, but still leaving a frame of orange around it.  i simply embellished the layer with a few scraps and stamped pieces and stuck it on.  i finished it off with a quick tie of ribbon around the box.  if i were giving this for real, i'd secure the ribbon in a few places with mini glue dots because of the shape of the container.  for very little work, the box of candy looks more like a gift than a grocery item!

since i didn't have specific plans to give the candy away, i decided to take it apart and use the layer i created on quick 3 x 3 mini card, too.  this could be placed on any gift item or tied around a bottle of wine if you punch a hole in the upper corner.  mini cards are always great to have on hand, especially this time of year!

:) lexi

quick wrapping

i've been so busy with halloween stuff and miscellaneous invitations, that stamping hasn't been happening so much.  but when the girls have a birthday party, they have to have a gift and card, so i do manage to quickly stamp something.  usually an oversized flat card--add a coordinating layer and tissue and you can quickly turn a plain bag into a cute personalized birthday bag!  this one was so quick with a muse clear stamps, copics and a gold spica--clear stamps make placement a snap!  sometimes, printing is the way to go...

these were for a high school musical 3 viewing party, and colleen wanted something in the fonts she recognized from the movies--lucky her, i have tons of fonts!  i drew the chair for a fund raiser invitation last year, so we were all set.  i often need quick & easy, and i especially love it when it's cute, too!

:) lexi

tricks & treats from my busy week!

boo! to you...

with treats galore!

mignon wanted to be salt & pepper with a friend, so here's what i came up with--they were so cute!

eye-popping tomato soup (from marthastewart.com) for my book club crowd!

crescent mummy dogs (from pillsbury.com) for the girlies...

with a side of green noodles!

eyeball cupcakes for a school party...

and last, but most definitely not least--candy monster cupcakes based on these awesome ones.  not suprisingly the original inspiration came from martha stewart kids.  sooo much fun for the girlies and their friends, this was a great activity for kids.  and of course for mummy, too!

happy halloween!
:) lexi

dum-dum ghosts

today, the girls and i spent some time making dum-dum ghosts.  a favorite halloween craft, and one we've done together every year.  in fact, i remember making them when i was young, although my tools and technique have changed!  what used to be kleenex and a black marker is now tissue inserts and a stamp from the old su! set, fun faces.  one year, i found these leftover tissues from my wedding invitations and decided to try them--like the kleenex, they're the perfect size, and the weight is even better.  i don't know why i kept them other than i am a crafter and, therefore, a hoarder of anything that might remotely be useful one day.  and hey, it paid off!  here's one of the things we do with the ghosts...

a spooky ghost tree!  i got this tree from pottery barn kids a few years ago on major sale and it's one of my favorite decorations.  the ghosts make it even more fun--everyone likes to pick one when they're feeling like a dum-dum!  we also make them for class treats and any that are left over go into the cauldron of candy on halloween night, so it's an all around fun and useful halloween craft.  tomorrow, i'll try to take pics of the new finds i got to haunt the new house this year...

'night!
:) lexi

husband, wife ... happy life!

here's a cake i made for one of colleen's teachers.  she got married a couple of weeks ago and while she was on her honeymoon, i helped the class write a book of marriage advice for her.  the second graders recommended that the newlyweds cook each other's favorite meals, take lots of trips, get a maid, and always have a kiss goodnight--soo cute!  anyway, she got back on monday, so on friday during snack time we surprised her with a reception to celebrate, including a grand entrance, dancing, tossing the bouquet and garter, cutting the cake, and presenting the book.

the book is almost the same as the wedding wishes book we created for mignon's second grade teacher from two years ago, who is actually colleen's other teacher, and who happens to be expecting twin boys very soon.  i can't wait to see what advice the kids come up with for her!

don't forget to kiss goodnight!
:) lexi