Handmade Christmas Gift #2: Candy Bar Sliders

I'll admit I'd never heard of a candy bar slider until I saw this tutorial, linked by one of my favorite crafters, Kerry, at Kerry's Paper Crafts.  Man, can this girl get her craft on!!!  :)

These were inspired by a combination of two tutorials...once again, Dawn Griffth at Dawn's Stamping Thoughts (here) and also by Wanda at My Creative Corner (here).

Thse easy peasy candy bar sliders are made out of just a few pieces of cardstock, some adhesive and a length of ribbon and that's it!  Check out Dawn's step-by-step video tutorial to see how to put them together.

Yum yum...thanks for looking!!!  :)

Handmade Christmas Gift #1: Post-It Note Holder

This year I'm doing a "Handmade Christmas" theme with my gift giving (as much as possible anyway!).  So I went back to some of my favorite tutorials by some really talented crafters and decided to highlight what I'm making and provide the link to these fabulous step-by-step directions.

These little Post-It Note holders were made following Dawn Griffith's tutorial over at Dawn's Stamping Thoughts.  I've been wanting to make these FOREVER and I decided they'd be great as part of my teacher gifts this year!  I added CTMH patterned paper (Twitterpated) over the base instead of stamping a background.

The pen is part of a 5 pack of mini-gel pens I found in the $1 bins at Michaels!  I bought the Post-It Note pads at Wal-Mart and you can replace them when the pad runs out...just use some double-sided adhesive and pop a new one in!  How nifty is that????

Thanks for looking!  :)

Altered Paper Mache Gifts

I found these neat unfinished paper mache gifts with silver "bows" already attached at Hobby Lobby and they happened to be on sale at the time.  I inked and then covered them with this cute Christmas paper from Cloud 9 Design and then embossed some green cardstock strips for the "ribbon".  I Modge Podged everything for durability.

To complete the gifts, I cut two tags from TBBM and added a flourish and sentiment from Home Accents and Home Decor (Cricut).  I attached the tags to the gifts and put them on my coffee table as a centerpiece.

Thanks for looking!  :)

My CTMH Online Giveaway...Clue #2!

Here is your next clue for the "mystery" CTMH product I'll be giving away over at Craftaholics Anonymous!


You'll be the envy of everyone "around"...  That's it for now!  More clues to come!  :)

Remember, my CTMH Giveaway will be featured Tuesday, Dec. 15 over at Craftaholics Anonymous. You will have 24 hours to meet the entry criteria and be entered into the drawing for the prize and the winner will be announced the next day, Dec. 16th. Here's how to get your name entered to win:

1. Leave a comment on the Giveaway blog entry at Craftaholics Anonymous

2. Visit my CTMH website and pick your favorite product: Go to http://ohscrap.myctmh.com/, click on "Products" and view the online Idea Book. Be prepared to drool! :)

3. Sign up to be a "follower" of my blog, Organized Chaos

4. Sign up to be a "follower" of the Craftaholics Anonymous blog

5. BONUS: If you make a purchase from my CTMH website, you'll get 2 entries!!!

Good Luck!  :)

Just Buggin Challenge #14: Layers (On A Wall Canvas)

I made these 16x20 canvases for the Mess Maker's and Noise Maker's playroom wall.  I decided to use neutral colors so they would blend with anything (and so they weren't overly busy!). 

I used George for the circles, star and flower die cuts, Base Camp for the names and Home Decor for the parenthesis.  I used the shadow feature on all of the cuts.  I used coordinating patterned paper to mat the photos, and for the top layer of the flower, star and parenthesis. 

I wrapped a dark brown grosgrain ribbon (craft supply) around each canvas where the patterned papers met.  I also wrapped hemp (CTMH) around each canvas three times, tying it in the front.  Additional embellishments include photo corners, ribbon brads (Paper Studio) with striped ribbon (craft supply) in the center of the star/flower, and buttons (CTMH) threaded with hemp and matted with additional paper circles.

The best thing about these canvases is that even though I Modge Podged all elements to the canvases for durability, I didn't adhere the photos down...they're simply inserted into the photo corners and can be easily slipped out and replaced.  So as the kids grow, I can print new 8x10 photos and insert them into the photo corners!

Thanks for looking!!!  :)

CTMH Holiday Heyday Clearance Sale!!!

Get Ready for a Holiday Heyday With Close To My Heart's Online Clearance Sale!


Get all your holiday shopping done in one spot this year with CTMH's online clearance sale! Many items are 50% off, with some discounted as much as 80% off regular retail. The selection is incredible, too!

This awesome event begins Wednesday, December 2, at 9 a.m. and continues through Thursday, December 17 (11:59 p.m. MT) or while product supplies last!  Make sure you get all those discontinued supplies you've been wanting before they're gone...hurry!!!  :)

To view the available products, please visit my CTMH website at : http://ohscrap.myctmh.com/ and click on "Have A Holiday Heyday".  Happy shopping! 

My CTMH Giveaway!!!

I am so excited to announce that I will be sponsoring my first "Giveaway"!  Linda over at Craftaholics Anonymous (what a GREAT blog!) is having a Readers Tutorial Week where she will feature guest tutorials for some fabulous projects!  Along with the tutorial week, she's having a Giveaway with some great products YOU could win!!!

I am offering a FABULOUS prize for the Giveaway...are you ready to find out what it is????? Here's a hint: It's obviously a CTMH product! :) AND, you'll be the envy of everyone on "the block". Hmmmm...that's it for now! More hints to come...check back soon for your next clue! :)

My CTMH Giveaway will be featured Tuesday, Dec. 15.  You will have 24 hours to meet the entry criteria and be entered into the drawing for the prize and the winner will be announced the next day, Dec. 16th.  Here's how to get your name entered to win:

1.  Leave a comment on the Giveaway blog entry at Craftaholics Anonymous

2.  Visit my CTMH website and pick your favorite product:  Go to http://ohscrap.myctmh.com/, click on "Products" and view the online Idea Book.  Be prepared to drool!  :)


3.  Sign up to be a "follower" of my blog, Organized Chaos

4.  Sign up to be a "follower" of the Craftaholics Anonymous blog
5.  BONUS:  If you make a purchase from my CTMH website, you'll get 2 entries!!!

Christmas "Lantern" Garland Out Of Plastic Cups!

I typically have a hard time falling asleep at night and it's usually because I've got "craft stuff" on my mind! I'm always thinking about projects and ideas for new creations. Ummm, I think I have an addiction! :)

Last night I thought of how I could "jazz up" the Christmas garland on my front door...it needed color and pop. I got to thinking that I have a bunch of those little clear, plastic punch cups left over from a party and figured I could cut a hole in the bottom of them to push onto the lights to make lanterns! So I got to work...

I took 12 cups and used my craft knife to slice an "x" in the bottom of each. Then I used my BFF, the Cricut, and cut snowflakes out of vinyl (Contact Paper!) at 1 1/2" and 2" using Accent Essentials and adhered them to the outside of each cup. Then I added 1/2" circles from George into the open spaces. To finish them up, I punched holes around the rim of each cup using my Crop-A-Dile and threaded red ribbon through and tied bows.

Then I just popped them randomly onto the string of lights already on the garland and ta-da!

Can't wait to see what these look like tonight...I'll post pics when I get them!

UPDATE:  Here is the night photo I just took....ooooooooh, ahhhhhhhhhh....  hehehe!

Thanks for looking!!! :)

Just Buggin Challenge #13: Sew It!

This week's challenge at Just Buggin is called "Sew It!"...use sewing on your project (and of course include a die cut!).  You can use traditional stitching, faux stitching, stamped stitching, etc.  I decided to use faux stitching on this project.  It gives it just a little extra detail, without having to break out the sewing machine!!!

To make the card, I used an 81/2 x 11" piece of dark brown cs, cut in half, and then scored in the middle.  Then I looked through my stash of brown "scraps" and found all of these coordinating pieces which I turned into a collage on the card front!  I can't tell you the manufacturer for them all b/c they were all pretty small pieces.  But I do know that none of them were initially bought to be used with each other!  I inked the edges of each piece with Cocoa CTMH ink and then adhered them to the front.

The die cut is from Accent Essentials and I used the shadow feature to mat it with dark brown cs (Bazzill).  I added a small silk flower with a brad (Paper Studio) and a ribbon (craft supply) for extra detail and then stamped my sentiment with a CTMH acrylic stamp.  To finish the card, I used a CTMH black ink pen to draw alternating dots and lines to look like stitching, both around the floral mat, and around one of the small pieces in the collage.

Thanks for looking!  :)

Tealight Candle Lollipop!

I FELL IN LOVE TODAY...


















With this super-cute project!!!  Over at Dawn's Stamping Thoughts, I found a great tutorial on this cute tealight candle lollipop, originally designed by Kristy Dunyon.  I just had to make one of my own!

If you want a video tutorial, Dawn does a great one.  But just a quick rundown of what I did:

1.  Hot glue a lollipop stick (available at craft stores, Wal-Mart, etc.) to the back of a tea light with a clear holder (the metal ones don't make it look as much like a real lollipop!).

2.  Then hot glue a circle (either punched or die cut...I used my Cricut) cut at the same size as the candle to the back of the candle, covering where you glued the stick on.

3.  Place in plastic/cellophane bag and tie closed with string/embroidery floss.

4.  Stamp sentiment on white cardstock (I used a holiday sentiment stamp from Close To My Heart).  Mat with coordinating cardstock and punch a hole at one end.  Thread string through hole and add charm.  Tie in a knot and trim the ends.

5.  To finish, tie a coordinating ribbon around the lollipop and trim ends.

That's it...so easy and soooooooo cute!!!  Thanks for looking!  :)

Just Buggin' DT Challenge #12: Triple Whammy

This week's Just Buggin DT Challenge (#12) is called "Triple Whammy"!  The challenge: use 3 die cuts on a project.  I wanted the images to coordinate really well, but I also wanted to make sure using three die cuts didn't overwhelm the project.  When I looked at my Home Accents cartridge, an idea popped into my head...and here is the result:

Supplies used:

1.  Travertine tile (Home Depot)

2.  Alcohol Inks: Latte, Mushroom, Ginger (Tim Holtz--Adirondack)

3.  Staz-On ink: Black

4.  Cricut Vinyl: Black

5.  Cricut cartridge: Home Accents

Other:  picture stand (Hobby Lobby)

These 4x4 travertine tiles are from Home Depot and come in a box of 9 for about $5.50.  Before you begin, you'll want to wash the tile well with water and wipe clean with a cloth...these are pretty dusty when you take them out of the box! 

To ink the background, use two or three colors of alcohol ink applied to an ink applicator pad (start out with a few of each color and add more as needed).  Dab all over the tile for an "aged" look.  Allow to dry.  Then, using Staz-On ink, apply black ink around the sides of the tile to "frame" the tile. Allow to dry. 

Using the Cricut, cut desired images (I used the "home" and a flourish image from Home Accents) from black vinyl.  Remove backing and adhere die cuts to tile, making sure to smooth out any wrinkles.  And that's it!  What a super-easy and fun project!!!

Thanks for looking!  :)

'Sorry I'm Slow' Snail Card

This card is made from the Walk In My Garden Cricut cartridge...it's similar to my turtle card (see older post) but I wanted to use this cutie-patootie snail this time.  I've fallen behind on some family/friend birthdays the past month or so, so this is my attempt at saying sorry!  :)

I cut the snail out of black cs twice using the shadow feature, then used the blackout feature to cut it once in white (to mat the inside).  Then I cut it from green cs for the front and cut the layer out of patterned paper (from a paper stack, can't remember the manufacturer!).  To make the card, I glued the "tail" pieces together and bent the back piece right next to the tail so it opened easily. 

I added flower brads on the antenna, and a black brad for the eye.  To finish him off, I added a small bow and printed "Sorry I'm Slow" on cs, used a circle punch to cut it out and matted it with a scalloped circle, all layered together and adhered to the top of the bow.

Thanks for looking!  :)

Just Buggin Challenge #11: Into The Wild

Here is my first project as a new DT member for Just Buggin!!!  Challenge #11 is called "Into The Wild": use a Cricut animal die cut on your project.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this polar bear from JOTS and so this was an easy decision for me with the upcoming Christmas holiday! 

Supplies used:

1. Patterned paper and coordinating cardstock: Magic Of The Season Paper Pack (Hobby Lobby)

2. Polar bear die cut (with shadow and layer): Joys of the Season (Cricut)

3. Tag die cut: JOTS (Cricut)

4.  "Peace" (tag) and winter flourish (on bear body): stamps (CTMH)

5. Adhesive rhinestone: craft supply (Hobby Lobby)

6. Glitter glue (Hobby Lobby)

7. Glue pen (to coat stamps): Martha Stewart Crafts

8. Crushed velvet flocking (Doodlebug Designs)

This card was relatively easy to make.  I cut the polar bear, the shadow and the layer (scarf) and adhered them together.  Then I stamped the bear using glue on my stamp instead of ink and added flocking to it and heated with my heat gun...this added some extra detail and dimension.  I stamped "Peace" on the tag, added a rhinestone and adhered it to the scarf.  Then I attached the bear to the card base with foam dots.  To finish, I added bits of sparkle to the background paper with glitter glue.

Hop on over to Just Buggin and check out the other DT examples...there are some really great projects!!!

Thanks for looking!!!  :)

EXCITING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!

I have some exciting news!!! NOOOOOO, I'm not pregnant!  :)








I just found out I was chosen to be part of the Just Buggin Design Team!!!  WOO HOO!!!  I am so absolutely honored to be a part of this team and I can't wait for the challenge and inspiration to begin...

Polka-Dot Etched Margarita Glass

I just couldn't resist this project when I saw it over at Christmas With The Cricut!!!  What a fab idea to make a polka-dot pattern on stemware!  I've seen similar glasses that cost a FORTUNE!!!  But not these...these cheapo margarita glasses are from Target (or somewhere comparable...I bought them a LONG time ago!).  But now they look like they came from Pier 1 or somewhere oh-so-ultra-cool.  :)

In keeping with traditional Christmas colors, I'm just picturing them filled with a yummy, frozen strawberry margarita (red) with a little lime wedge (green) on the edge....how cute!  And wouldn't a set of these glasses and some custom wine charms just make the perfect gift???  :)

Christmas With The Cricut has a great tutorial on making these (see link above) but here's just a quick run-down of what I did:

1.  Cut 1" circles out of vinyl (contact paper) 15 times from the Cricut Plantin Schoolbook cartridge using the Roly Poly feature...this cuts the circles into rings.

2.  Adhere rings randomly onto glass, being careful to smooth any ridges.

3.  Apply etching cream to inside of rings, being careful not to go outside the ring edge.

4.  Wait 15 minutes then rinse and wipe with water.  Remove rings and wash with soap and water.  Ta-da!

Thanks for looking!  :)