Making Reading & Counting More Interactive

Book + Magnets = Learning Beyond the Pages 

 

I'm always looking for new and fun ways to extend Annalee's learning beyond the pages of a book and make stories come to life. Added elements make story time more fun for me, too! Enter "Ten Little Princesses" and these Melissa and Doug magnets, and these two items went beyond a logical pairing and are more like a match made in Heaven. The colors of the book illustrations and magnets coordinate in a way that make it seem they are made for each other.  Adding the dimension of magnets makes the concept of counting more tangible and fun. I had purchased this book at Barnes and Noble in the children's sale section that is always there, but it looks like Amazon is still cheaper than the B&N sales price, and then lo and behold, for Annalee's 1st birthday, she was given the adorable Melissa and Doug princess magnets. Annalee at 21 months old now is finally at a stage where she can follow instructions throughout the duration of a whole book (on some days). After placing 10 princess magnets up on her magnet board, I have her take down one princess each time a princess is subtracted in the book and then we count the remaining princesses left on the board. She seems to gravitate more to this book now after having the added dimension of the magnet play. We don't own the book below, but I'm thinking of purchasing in the spirit of Fall and Halloween and pairing them with some Halloween magnets like the ones from Wal-Mart below.

A Big Hello!

Hi Crafty Friends!

Where do I begin to explain my long hiatus? I have definitely crafted, but the nature of my craftiness has expanded from paper projects to DIY home projects (stay tuned for posts documenting everything) because Kyle and I bought our very first house in February, and in a nutshell, our new home has been all consuming in a very good way.

TO get right to the point, now that my craft room (YAY for a craft room! picture below) is in good working order, I am trying to replenish my greeting card stash before the school year starts again because I always like to have a stockpile that I can just pull from when occasions arise. Here is a birthday card that I am submitting to the Peachy Keen Stamp Challenge 13-31 Anything Goes!

Materials:

• Cricut Once Upon a Princess
• Peachy Keen Princess Faces 1 1/8
• Peachy Keen Cherub Assortment 1"
• Red stickles on the crown on the card
• my MAC blush for their cheeks 
• jelly roll pen for the faux stitching
• some little bling jewels for her necklace 

I like to mass produce cards as much as possible because I know how time consuming each card is, and to make several of the same card saves me time down the road, so the picture below shows the other little divas that will  be placed on similar birthday cards. The two little girls on the ends have the Cherub Assortment faces on them.

One of the things I really like about having a blog is the journaling of some memories that accompanies the photos, and so for my own benefit, I am going to fill in more gaps of what else Kyle and I have been doing since our last post.

• January: escrow papers and packing
• February: moving, re-carpeting the upstairs, and floor to ceiling paint throughout the whole house
• March: started on the craft room
• April: co-producing our high school's Faculty Follies Production
• May: counting down for summer, garage sailing, craigslist searching (some GREAT finds that I will share later)
• June: Kyle graduated from his MBA program
• July: Fallen Leaf Lake and My First Cheer Camp as Cheer Advisor! 
• August: No Cheer! Pinterest and Paper Projects Galore / Lots of Reading - finished The Power of Habit, And the Mountains Echoed, and I'm in the middle of Weird Sisters and The Golem and the Jinni. The only one I wouldn't recommend is And the Mountains Echoed. 

The preliminary pictures of my craft room will be uploaded later this afternoon. I just downloaded googleplus, which links my iphone pictures directly to my blog, so I can upload anything from my iphone super quickly! Right now, all 400 plus pictures are being backed up, so it will take some time, and I have to run some errands.

Thanks for reading. It feels good to be back! :)

Best, Katie A.

Merry Christmas!

 Hi Everyone,

WOW! I can't believe a month has gone by since my last post. School has taken all of my time up by storm, and though I've crafted a tiny bit here and there, I haven't had the time to post about it.

Today, I'm sharing little elf place holders / gift bag embellishments with you. I'm recycling these little guys so that they can be enjoyed multiple times. Today I used them to embellish these little cute M&M gift bags, and between now and Friday, I'm going to personalize them for my husband's side of the family for our Christmas celebration with them. I'm submitting this project to:
Peachy Keen Stamps "Anything Goes" Challenge

Here they are! Enjoy!

Recipe:
I found this little elf doll in the Silhouette store, and I fell in love. Because they were SO labor intensive to assemble, and I was making 12 of them, I forfeited all inking and any other embellishment than my cute Peachy faces, blush, and little freckles with my gelly roll pens. I used the Happy Lashes set from Peachy Keen for their little faces.

I attached the little elves to the little candy packs that I made. I LOVE the finished product!

Hope you all have a very blessed Christmas with your loved ones!

Love, Katie A.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi All,

Hope you are all happy and ready for Thanksgiving as it is quickly approaching!! This year is already flying by; I can't believe it. Though I haven't done any grocery shopping yet for Thursday, which we are partially hosting, I DO have my placeholders completed. :)

This was quite the undertaking, and something I had wanted to do in years past, but I never got around to it. This year, Peachy Keen's Color Challenge inspired me to take action! I am including these little guys in the following challenges:

Little Scrap Pieces: "Fun Friday Use an Animal"
My Craft Spot Challenge #76 Thanksgiving
Peachy Keen Stamps Color Challenge #44

Recipe:

• Cricut Paper Doll Dress Up
• Cricut Create a Critter
• Nestabilities for the placeholder background
• Sizzix Embossing Folders
• eyelets in the leaf
• My Creative Time "Everyday Bingo and Crossword"
• wine corks
• Peachy Keen Stamps: PKSC - 07 July 2012 for my pilgrim boy, and Native American boy and girl
• Peachy Keen Princess Faces for my cute pilgrim girl
• Peachy Keen - Create a Critter Faces for my turkey
• PK 490 Everyday Face Assortment for my leaf
• Various ribbon
• Hemp

In case you are wondering about the wine cork placeholders, they were SUPER easy to make - all you have to do is save your wine corks, and saw a slit into the top of the cork(s) using a sharp knife - just be careful! :)

I hope all of you have a very blessed Thanksgiving!

<3, Katie A. 

"Glitz & Girly" Christmas Wreath

Hi Everyone,

You know that TV show on TLC, "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding?" Well, I feel like this wreath embodies the glitz and glamour of that show. LOL. I will be submitting this project to Peachy Keen Challenge #43 "Anything Goes," Crafty Catz #158 "Anything Goes," and Paper Crafting Journey "Anything Goes."

Directions on how to assemble wreath by steps:
1. buy basic supplies:

• any type of wreath (a woven sticks wreath from Dollar Tree)
• lots of tulle (I had some left over from these tutus I had made last year)
• feathers (these were leftovers also)
• clothespins (mini and large size)

2. cut tulle into strips (approximately 9" long by 2" wide) I didn't measure, I just eye-balled, but after I made it, I looked at some instructions myself, and that's what many of them said. 

3. Using the loop and pull method, tie the tulle strip by strip onto the wreath until you get each section to look full. (This takes awhile!) I would say approximately 2 hours for the 12 inch wreath.

4. Hot glue feathers and add left over tulle to some pretty ribbon to tie a giant ribbon

The embellishment directions are down below if you care to read more!

Here I have a close-up of one of the added embellishments made with My Creative Time's Scalloped and Stitched circle dies and All Around Everything Stamp Set, and her Rolled Flower Die. The entire scallop, circle, and flower piece is actually attached via Velcro, so I can take it off and replace with anything I'd like. I love the versatility that the clothespin allows also: right now, it is holding a tag with a heat embossed sentiment from Peachy Keen.

This little cutie, is also made with Peachy Keen stamps. The ribbon scarf is ribbon made from "Little Scrap Pieces." The tag was made from Tim Holtz Big Tags die, and I heat embossed the big trees as a background. (I bought that tree stamp from Paper Source). I stickled her hat, gloves, and shoes to stick with my pink theme.

 I modpodged all of the clothespins with this leopard paper to provide a nice contrast with the pink.

I had A LOT of fun creating, fine tuning, enhancing, and perfecting this wreath!

Hope you have a wonderful Veteran's Day weekend. I thank God for all of the troops who are willing to risk their lives in service to our country!

<3, Katie A.

Free "Fall Y'all" Card Set Giveaway!

Hi Crafty Friends,

I hope you are doing well, and if you are on the east coast that you are staying dry and safe in the aftermath of Sandy.

Today I have a card that I am submitting to the following challenges:
Peachy Keen Stamps #42 Sketch Challenge
That Craft Place: Tic-Tac-Toe 
Challenges 4 Everybody: Challenge #6 Anything Goes 

Card Recipe:

• Silhouette Scarecrow 
• Peachy Keen "Happy Lashes"
• buttons
• Scrappy Mom's Stamps for the sentiment (I heat embossed it)
• multiple coordinating card stock to layer creating dimensions through borders
• decorative tape
• Tsukneko / Tim Holtz ink

Additionally, I have a "Happy Fall Y'all" card set giveaway. The set includes the card posted above as well as 3 additional fall themed cards (1 of the 3 is posted below).

 

Eligibility

• Become a follower of my blog by Friday, November 9th! :) 
• Comment on this post so I know how to track you down in case you win.

I will do the drawing on Friday after 5PM via random.org to select one lucky winner!

Have a wonderful rest of your week!

<3, Katie A.

Established 2010

Hi Guys,

Hope you had a lovely weekend! I did! My birthday celebration continued into the weekend...Friday night, I had dinner with my husband after which he gifted me with the Silhouette Cameo, which I got to play around with today!!!!!!!!!!!! To end the weekend, we saw one of my old Disney choreographers in a one man song and dance show in downtown LA at the Federal. Such a wonderful way to end the weekend.

My project for you today is my very first Silhouette project. I had been wanting to make a sign like this for awhile now, but part of me was waiting until my husband and I bought our first house. Peachy Keen's challenge this week though inspired me to make it a bit earlier. I am not 100% sold on how it turned out, so maybe I will use this one as a solid draft for a new one when Kyle and I eventually DO find a house!

I will be submitting this project to: Peachy Keen Challenge 41 "3-D Wall Art"

I think what bothers me about this wall art is that the balance is slightly off; I guess Kyle and I will have to add some babies over on the right hand side to fix that.

General Materials used:

• Old Frame / cork board that I repurposed for this project
• Silhouette Cameo for all of the phrase, letter, and number cutouts (I learned about the "offset" shadow function immediately!)
• Peachy Keen SC-07 2012 for my doll faces
• a flouncy burlap flower on the top corner

More Specific Materials

• gelly roll pen for the whites of my doll's (AKA Katie and Kyle) eyes
• Cuttlebug embossing folder for her leopard print dress. :)
• button
• baker's twine

More Specific Materials

• My Creative Time's "Coffee Break" stamp set (I heat embossed the A and the little flower below)
• more buttons

That's all for now. Thanks for reading and stopping by. Have a fabulous week!

xo,

Katie A.

Happy Birthday, Iz!

Hi Everyone!

This week is a big birthday week! It's my 28th birthday on Thursday and my niece's 7th birthday on Sunday. She unfortunately lives in North Carolina, so I will celebrating her from a distance. I will have to get this Nesting Doll card in the mail tomorrow!

In honor of my birthday, I'm treating myself to a little something each day :). Tonight my treat was time to craft and Rock of Ages on Redbox, which is on right now in the background (LOVE the 80's music).

I'm submitting this card to Peachy Keen Stamps: "Just Cards - Word-up Challenge." Making this little doll was actually VERY EASY! It didn't take me as long as my cards normally do. Though this little nesting doll has an ADORABLE face, I do think the sentiment is front and center!

Materials used:

• Cricut Cindy Loo for the Babushka cut
• My gypsy to weld the Babushka cut
• Peachy Keen "Princess Faces"
• sizzix embossing die for her top layer
• gell roll pen for her little freckles
• Tsukneko inks for all of my cuts in coordinating colors
• My Creative Time's scallop and circle dies and coordinating sentiment
• button
• scrap ribbon for her little hairbow

Here is a close-up of the sentiment.

Hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week! 

<3, Katie A. 

Happy Haunting Wreath!

Hi Guys!

Hope you are having a great week! So happy that Friday is almost here. Today I have a post for you right in what I THOUGHT was the nick of time to submit to the Peachy Keen Color Challenge #39, but I missed it! SO SAD!!!!! Oh well. :( I will submit it to: Twineology October Spook-tacular Challenge, and Cupcake Craftroom "Anything Goes in Autumn" Challenge.

I have to say, for getting this done tonight, I'm pretty proud of it! :) It's going straight to my classroom in the morning! We'll see if my kids love it as much as I do. lol.

Materials:

• About a 6 inch wreath wrapped in purple ribbon
• Peachy Keen Princess Faces for my cute, little witch's face on the bottom, Peachy Keen Everyday Face Assortment for my monster (I use my own M.A.C. blush for the little cheeks and apply with a q-tip) I thought I would let you in on the secret. :)
• Cricut Paper Doll Dress Up 
• Mini Monsters for the monster, the spiderwebs, and the "Happy Haunting" sentiment
• pinwheels using my Martha Stewart scoreboard
• sizzix embossing folder for the sentiment and roof
• lots of buttons and random ribbon
• baker's thread

Thanks for visiting! Hope you have a great rest of your week!

<3, Katie A.

Trellis Card

Hello!

Today, I have a card to submit to a couple of challenges:
Emma's "My Creative Time" Thursday Designer Challenge and "Little Scrap Pieces," Fun Friday Fall Colors Challenge.

For Emma's challenge, you had to use 3 flowers plus bling on a layout or a card using brown, pastel yellow, and pastel blue. The card base and the brown ribbon looks very fall to me, which is why I also submitted it to Little Scrap Pieces challenge. Emma's flower requirement inspired me to make a background that resembled a trellis, and the vision only came halfway to fruition. :) I just started by adhering ribbon in a cross cross fashion.

Instead of having 3 flowers spread out, I stacked 3 flowers.

Materials on the outside of card:

• flower layers: on the bottom I used Tim Holtz "Tattered Flowers," the middle is Emma's scallop and circle die (the scallop is stamped using Emma's Build a Banner Kit polka-dot stamp), and the top is Emma's rolled flower die.
• a little iridescent gem in the middle of the flower
• the sentiment is from Emma's "All Around Everything"
• brown ribbon

Materials on the inside of card: 

• blue cardstock to cover the brown ribbon that was criss crossed on the front.
• flower layers: on the bottom I used Tim Holtz "Tattered Flowers," the middle is Emma's scallop and circle die (the scallop is stamped using Emma's Build a Banner Kit polka-dot stamp)
• the sentiment is from Emma's "All Around Everything"

This was a very simple and easy card! Thanks for visiting me. Hope you have a wonderful week!

<3, Katie

Just a Note!

Hi Everyone,

A quick post for you this weekend: "Just a Note" Greeting Card was made with lots of love using:

• Peachy Keen Stamps: PKSC-07 July 2012
• Cuddlebug Embossing for the back yellow panel
• faux brads w/ pop dots
• Scrappy Moms Sentiment
• Baker's twine for the banner

As I paper pieced the various details for this little girl, my husband and my sister told me I was crazy because of how labor intensive it was. However, her little gingham dress makes all of that time worth it! :) I will be submitting this card to the Peachy Keen Challenge 38 :: Anything Goes.

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

<3, Katie

Happy Birthday in Advance!

Hi Crafty Friends,

Hope this post finds you well! School in session means very limited time, but for the first time since I've started teaching 4 years ago, I am trying to achieve balance during the school year, which means I'm allowing myself time to do the things I love amidst the tons of essays to grade and lessons to plan.

I like to keep a couple of birthday cards in my greeting card stockpile so that I will be prepared for various birthdays when they arrive, and Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #30 - Birthday Celebration inspired me to make a new card to add to my inventory.

My sister has already lay claim to the card for her birthday, but I'm not so sure that I want her to have seen her birthday card before she actually receives it. :)

Ingredients:

• Cricut Simply Charmed (fashioned on my Gypsy) If you do this, before you weld the 2 cakes together, don't forget to flip the image so that the 2 sides align when folded.
• cuddlebug embossing folder for the candles
• white gelly roll for faux stitching 
• Peachy Keen Faces (PK 112 - Cherub Face Assortment)
• Scrappy Moms Sentiments
• Assorted yellow ribbon

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

<3, Katie

Best Witches!

Hi Everyone!

Wow! It's been awhile; even though I was on summer vacation for awhile, I was very busy finishing my Master's thesis in English, and so even though I did make a bunch of greeting cards for people along the way, I didn't find time to blog about them. I wanted to get at least one blog in before I go back to teaching my high schoolers tomorrow! :)

This project is definitely blog worthy, and I will be submitting it to both Peachy Keen Stamps Blog Challenge 33 and Kraft Girls Challenge: Anything Goes. I got this cute little greeting idea from Emma over at My Creative Time who just came out with a new Halloween sentiment stamp "Best Witches." I ran with it and came up with this adorable (AND CHEAP!) way to adorn a table or mantle.

Recipe for the Brew:

• Peachy Keen Happy Lashes for my cute, little witch's face on top
• Peachy Keen Princess Faces for my cute, little witch's face on the bottom
• Cricut Paper Doll Dress Up - witch dolls
• Cricut Storybook - Lettering 
• Toilet paper rolls covered in paper and cut in half as the letter bases
• Paper box wrapped in scrap fabric
• Green ribbon from Costco
• Twine around each little witch's hat
• My own blush from my makeup for their little cheeks
• Little mini silver canisters from a wedding favor pack that I found at Marshall's for the bases on the bottom

Happy Early Halloween, everyone! FYI, I will be selecting a random winner to win this cute decorative greeting along with a Christmas themed one when I reach 50 followers!!!!! :)

<3, Katie A.