Help Kids Help Kids Charity Bazaar

On Saturday, May 9th, my girls and I will be at the Help Kids Help Kids Charity Bazaar in the Framingham Circle Furniture from 10AM until 1PM! The store is at 235 Worcester Road (Rt 9W) in Framingham, MA and there will be mutliple groups of children selling their handmade items to raise money for charities of their choice! It's a wonderful way to pick up a last minute Mother's Day gift, to treat your kids to something in the midst of the Mother's Day weekend, and so much more!

Our table will feature a few dozen handmade beaded charm bracelets (mostly using acrylic, metal, and fimo beads/charms instead of glass and stone), marine life earrings and pendants, and some yummy baked goods! Maybe even a little more! My daughters and their friends designed each of the bracelets and I've been working hard to finish assembling them!




100% of the sales at our table will go to The Lowell Wish Project which is a wonderful charity that helps provide new and used goods for many other charities, homeless shelters, emergency items in the event of fires and illnesses, families transitioning to apartments from the shelters, and so much more! We felt that it was really important to try and help families that are suffering during these ever-shifting economical times and we've seen families that have benefited directly from this organization, so we knew that we had to raise money for them!

We'd love to see some of you there, or learn about the projects that you are doing in your own family to help make a difference! Thanks!

Card Donation Drive for Soldiers to Use

Club Scrap: Mirror Mirror - Greetings to Go, UM Stamps; Ranger: Adirondack Inks - Espresso, Stonewashed, Pesto; Seashells Inks - Starfish Green; Glossy Paper;

My daughters and I are working on a bunch of packages to send overseas to soldiers serving the Army in Iraq! We've got three wonderful guys who are currently serving there and have promised to distribute all of our goodies to as many fellow soldiers as they can and to be sure and share with those who don't get many care packages from home. But beyond the regular treats, we thought of something else that they could really use! We're sending them unused handmade cards that they can in turn send home to their loved ones, and they don't have to pay postage, the military does!

We're looking for more people who would love to send us cards for them... Very good themes include I Miss You, ILove You, Happy Birthday, ThankYou, blank cards, etc. We'd also love a few Father's Day cards to send this month! Everything is welcome, but maybe refrain from 20 glittering pink butterflies in a row as most of the people sending these will be men who may shy away from picking those cards in front of their platoon! :) But plenty have little girls at home, still!

If we have more than these guys can handle, I'm talking to them about trying to maybe set up a basketful at their post office with a freebie sign so that everyone there can scoop them up! And we'll get the girls' Brownie troop more involved in collecting additional cards, stationary, and soldiers to help distribute in Iraq & Afghanistan! I already have a huge thank you to DanaM, Cheryl M, and Pam G for already helping!

Just send me an email at neithj@gmail.com and I'll send you out our mailing address!

Thanks!

Neith


Club Scrap: Paisley 3/06 - papers; FFC You're Invited - UM; Club Scrap Hybrid Ink Pad - Earth; Assembly Line Cardmaking - 9 of Spades;

Gauntlet Gloves

Club Scrap Digital Demo Kit Let Me Count The Ways 2/06;

To create this layout, I used the template from the and new Free Digital Demo Kit and chose my own papers, altered the sizes and layer styles of each element, and added inked edges to the two main papers.

We've been working hard on donations for the church fair! I coordinated and ran projects with the youth group to create a number of items to sell, made more goodies on my own, and worked with my kids to create even more! These gauntlet style gloves were inspired by both Selena Gomez's character in Wizards of Waverly Place and the clearance children's knitting machine that we found and have made tons of knit tubes from! (Note that the gloves will actually sell in matched pairs, but I needed to take a sample photo to display!) The kids probably cranked out about half of the gloves and I stitched thumb holes into them... we're also donating some cards, gift bags, crochet produce bags, and amigurumi catnip treats! Wish us luck with the sales tomorrow!

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day! Today my kids marched with their Scout groups in our town's annual Memorial Day Parade and ceremonies... plus I have some layouts and cards to share with you from past holidays, elections, military service, and more!


Club Scrap: Freedom 2003 - Flag Print;
Ranger: Distress Ink Pad - Tea Dye;
Vintage Ephemera;

The kids and I made a series of these little Squash Books and sent them, with other gifts, to the Army soldiers that we adopted the last time that my brother was serving in Iraq.


Club Scrap Digital 1/08 A Study in Red papers, tags, and ribbons with altered hues; Font Gardens FG William computer font;
Layout is my take on Bistro's Sr ALSB Layout #1.

Journaling reads: January, 2008
Chris has only just returned to Iraq for a second tour of duty. From this photo it seems perfectly clear that the front infantry is where he has wanted to be all along. I may never understand, but it is what he wants.


Club Scrap: Surf's Up 7/06 - UM Stamp; Mosaic Twist 1/05 - Blue; Freedom 2003 - Red;
Vintage Ephemera;
Personal Stash - Fabric Flower, Mini Brad, White Ink Pad;


Club Scrap: PSL ALSB #7; Farmer's Market 11/06 - Leaf; Freedom 2003 - Flag Print , Blue Print, Red Print;
Sticker;

These recreations of National Monuments were created by my son's 4th grade class!






Club Scrap: Crafter Retreat 07 - ALSB Scramble; Academy 8/07 - Brown Plain, Tan 8.5x11 Print; Interior Designs 11/05 - Right Companion Stair Print on Brown; Collections 6/06 - UM Font; Poetic 9/03 - Blue Plain;
Ranger: Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber in Gold;

We happened upon this Flag Retirement Ceremony being given by an Eagle Scout candidate in Lynch Park. It was an amazing ceremony filled with history about our flag, beautiful music tied in, and a large Flag Retirement Ceremony for the town.





Club Scrap: Sparkle 12/07 - UM Stamps; Time & Space 12/04 - ALSB #9 & 10, Gold Plain, Star White Galaxy Print; It's a Boy/It's a Girl 2006 - UM Font;
Ranger: Archival Ink Pad - Grape;

Tripods, delayed photos, and long shutter exposures are your friends if you want to capture shots of a fireworks display! Or, call them Fireflowers, like the Korean translation for fireworks! :)


Club Scrap: Down To Earth 4/05 - Lt Green; County Fair 7/04 - Green; Workbench 8/05 - Green; Unknown - Dark Green; Americana 2001 - Stencil;
Tsukineko: Brilliance - Pearlescent Ivy, Rocket Red, Galaxy Gold;
Stippling through a stencil;






Club Scrap: Crafter Retreat 07 - ALSB Scramble; Poetic 9/03 - Brown Print, Brown Plain, Blue Plain; Heritage II 6/00 - Journaling Stencil;
Scrapbook Takeout: Clearly Speaking 7/07 - Hambly Screen Prints Rub-Ons in Vintage Motifs Black;
Stewart Superior: Memories Ink Pad in
Art Print Brown;
Zig: Millennium Pen in Pure Black;

Unfortunately, when we visited the Statue of Liberty, they weren't releasing tickets to climb up inside of her... but the kids were still in awe!

Club Scrap: PSL ALSB #8; Freedom 2003 - Flag Print , Blue Print, Red Print;
Making Memories: Alphabet Rub-Ons - Heidi Small White;

We saw this amazing display when we visited Ellis Island. At first glimpse it's just a representation of our flag, but as you pass it it transforms into photographs of Americans from all walks of life.







Club Scrap: A Study in Red 1/08 - Dark Red Plain; Sparkle 12/07 - Blue Metallic Plain; English Garden 5/04 - Library Pocket Stencil; Freedom 2003 - Blue Print, Red Print, Translucent 8.5x11 Foil Print;
Scrapbook Takeout: Adventures in Altering 8/07 - Chipboard Numbers;
American Crafts: Pigment Pro Marker - Blue;

At the time of the last presidential election, my kids were very revved up about voting from both their parents and their school! They saw everyone out holding election signs and wanted to be a part of it, especially when they saw people parking at town hall to pick kids up from school and not voting earlier in the year... So we made up very impartial signs and they got permission to hold them in front of town hall to remind people to vote, even with kids in tow! I think my kids have only missed going to the polls with us once in their lives!


Club Scrap: A Study in Red 1/08 - Dark Red Plain; Sparkle 12/07 - Blue Metallic Plain; Freedom 2003 - White Print, Translucent 8.5x11 Foil Print;

During high school, our Governor was running for President and came by a youth center where I served on the board. The photo is of him with our two exchange students! I'm sorry that this layout scanned so poorly, but it's chock full of metallic and foil finishes that don't like my scanner!

Mini Book: What We Remember From Childhood...

My seven and a half year old daughters are always very excited to get to make their own books! They've actually made 12 of the Pocket-Page Books in the past year and a half! And I've taught a number of their classmates to make the Squash Books... so there's nothing stopping you!



I do really love the quote on this book's cover! It seemed perfect for a little book of photos from last year's Easter Egg Hunt! It was a special memory because my cousin's sons really came out of their shells to play with my children and interact with the grownups! The older brother's always been quite shy, so you can imagine how special it made things!



I used a single sheet of Club Scrap Surf's Up! 7/06 Plain Blue 12x12 Paper to fold and cut into there twelve 4"x3" pages, using a Maze Book design. I also used the Refresh 2/07 Dark Blue and Fizz 1/07 White Translucent Papers, Ivory Elegance 12/06 Borders & Backgrounds UM Stamps, Farmer's Market 10/06Painted Desert 5/05 Stencil, CS Bookbinding, Padding, & Laminating Adhesive, Ranger Adirondack Ink Pad in Denim, Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber in Aqua, Ranger Stickles in Waterfall, Clearsnap Ice Blue Fluid Chalk Ink, Fiskar's Victorian Edge Rotary Trimmer, and Michael's Ribbon.

Below are two other book designs! A Mini Squash/Explosion Book and a Pocket-Page Book!

One Busy Week! Handmade Auction Items & Newspaper Photo!

Wow! This month has been so busy for me! Especially the past week! I cannot believe how long it has been since I posted a new entry! I'm so sorry for the delay! The school auction and the Girl Scout Craft Expo have finally come and gone, so my life may be my own again! And, I'd love to share a little bit of what I've been working on!



I used the design from Club Scrap's wonderful Handmade Stitched Journal Project along with papers and a stamp from the Pets Special Release Kit with Ranger Archival Coffee Ink Pad to make this book! Inside of the book are printed copies of Animal Stories, each one was written and illustrated by one of my daughters' first grade classmates!



The card, in the above photo, represents the donation of one quart of paint or stain from our local Rocky's Ace Hardware Store! Along with the book and paint, the class auction item included a small unfinished bookcase, 45 story/activity books, a Barnes & Noble gift card, 2 beautiful handmade beaded bookmarks from another mother, some story-character items, 2 small pocket albums made by my daughters, and two more projects that I did with the students! I was able to visit the classroom a few times and teach each child how to make a simple Japanese Stab Bound Book as well as a Distressed Monoprinted Bookmark!



This card was made with the Rhapsody March 2007: Papers, Rhapsody Brown Ink Pad, Stewart Superior Midnight Blue Ink Cube & Fibers plus the Interior Designs November 2006: Unmounted Stamps and Ranger Adirondack Caramel Ink Pad.



Also... my daughter was one of four Girl Scouts in town to make it into the newspaper at the Millis Girl Scout Craft Expo last weekend! She did roll her eyes that it's only a shot of her buying lipstick as opposed to creating anything! But, look, the other photo is one of her troopmates making another of the bookmark projects that I taught! Each girl had already made one with me, for free, in a meeting, but most paid for additional bookmarks and dragged their family and friends to wait in the lines for our project! It was definitely a hit! Check out my blog entry about the Distressed Monoprinted Bookmarks!

A Few Simple Fizz Projects!

Here are a few simple Fizz projects that I made recently!


On this card, I simply stamped the images and trimmed them out to adhere to the card! I used these supplies:

• # Club Scrap: Fizz 01/07 Dark Pink, Light Pink Black & Silver Paper and Fizz Unmounted Borders & Backgrounds Stamps;
• Stewart Superior - Palette Noir Black Ink Pad;
  

This simple book, along with other color schemes, is one of the Spring-themed bookmaking projects that I will be teaching on April 7th, 10Am-12PM in Beverly, MA! It's a very low cost project that won't even take half of the time! So if you'd like to attend, just email me and tell me what time you'll be there! I'll have more stamps, stencils and die cuts available for you to decorate your books with!

On this version of the book, I used my Niji Waterbrush & Adirondack Ink Pads to watercolor the tulips! I also used the following supplies:

• Club Scrap: Fizz 01/07 Light Pink & Silver Paper, Salsa 11/03 White Paper, Matte Board, Niji Waterbrush, and Bookbinding Glue;
• Ranger: Seashells Ink Pad in Tropical Raspberry, Sea Brights in Watermelon Red & Citrus, and Adirondack Ink Pads in Meadow; (Please note that the Seashells and Sea Brights are being re-released as Adirondack Ink Pads.)
• Offray Pink Ribbon;
• Sizzix: Paper Sculpting Tulip 38-1118;

Distress Ink Monoprinted Bookmarks by 1st Graders!

These bookmarks were created by my daughters' First Grade class! Each of the kids selected one color of my Club Scrap Cardstock Pieces first, then some stamps, and together we selected the ink colors, in the end, using nearly the complete line of Ranger's Distress Inks! We pressed each ink color on my Ranger Non Stick Craft Sheet and then misted the inks with water before the kids' pressed their glossy paper into the inks, then swirled, swiped, bent and striped it, etc until they were satisfied! (I helped cover a few white spots for them.) Then we ran adhesive across the backs of the inked paper and stuck them right down onto the Non Stick Craft Sheet and stamped over the papers with Ranger's Waterproof Archival Inks and Club Scrap Stamps! Then, while each child cleaned their fingers, I adhered the inked papers to the cardstock, laminating them all at home!

They did such a beautiful job! Each child selected one bookmark to keep and one to contribute to the Class Auction Project! They also each made Japanese Stab-Bound Mini Books last week and I'm going to bind one Writing Workshop story per child, with about the author pages, into a Hand Stitched Journal. Along with all of these handmade goodies, parents are contributing towards storebought books and book related items, some additional handmade surprises, and an unfinished wood nightstand bookcase! Rocky's Ace Hardware of Millis is also donating the winner's choice in colors for one quart of paint or stain and advice to complete the bookcase!

I've also donated a complete Mini Kit For a Cause Handmade 6"x6" Postbound Scrapbook with ALSB Layouts (ready-for photos) and accompanying cards, stamps, stencil, and more! This will be a separate auction item!

I've had such a blast working with the kids in the classroom, and especially loved the enthusiasm from some of the boys... including the extra twinkle when one worked with purples and pinks! So adorable!

I will also be making bookmarks (die cut shapes and possibly this same ink technique as separate options) at the Millis Girl Scouts Craft Expo on March 25th! It will be from 12:30-3:00PM at the Church of Christ, with a $2 entry fee for adults (children under 19 are free!), with plenty of crafts to make and buy as well as a full concession stand to benefit the Girl Scouts of our town! (We will even have extras of my daughter's homemade GS Cookie Inspired Chocolates for sale at our booth! Mmmmmmm!!)