Thankful Thursday Valentine Hop

Goodmorning Everyone!  Welcome to the Thankful Thursday Valentine Blog Hop hosted by Jenny at Crazy about Cricut!  This year, Jenny is changing things up!  Thankful Thursdays are now going to be a monthly blog hop.  They will be on the last Thursday of every month and there will be a link for people to link their projects up at the end.  This month our theme is Valentines Day!  Thankful Thursday is still about crafting with your kiddos and/or loved ones so lets see those Valentines Day Projects!

You should have arrived from Leah's blog at Leah's Card Designs!  If you are just stopping by to visit today and want to hop along, please go to Crazy about Cricut and start from the beginning!  Time has not been on our side lately, so I was thankful for the opportunity to craft with my kiddos this week!  Here is what we came up with!

Isn't he cute?!?!  We mixed some stamp sets to get our adorable sentiment!  "Valentine" comes from My Craft Spot's Build a Valentine Set and "Whooooooo loves you?" comes from My Pink Stamper. 

We started out with the Stampin' Up! Top Note Die and cut it in half. 

Then we got busy with some punches (my girl's love punching paper)!!

The flower works perfect for the beak and feet!

Again, the top not die needs to be cut in half. 

Face Layout....

Body Layout....

The wings are made by hand cutting them out of an extra body piece.

 

Oldest E received some dimensionals for Christmas, so she is all about popping everything up!  After we got this all done, she decided she wants the owls for her Birthday invitations instead...haha!  Kids...we'll see what happens with them! 

So, who wants some Blog Candy? 

 All commenters at Crazy about Cricut will be entered for the prize, but everybody who links up a project will get 2 additional entries. So by hopping/commenting and linking a project, you will have 3 times the chances to win the Space Party Cartridge...WooHoo!!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Your next stop in this Valentine Hop is my very talented friend

Lola at Purple Peep Techniques 

Here is the line-up in case you lose your way!
Jenny ~ http://www.crazyaboutcricut.blogspot.com/
Sharon ~ http://www.simplysweetbysharon.blogspot.com/
Heather ~  http://paper-junkie.blogspot.com/
Bobbi Hickman ~ http://rockgirlcustomdesigns.blogspot.com/
Leah Pagliaroli ~ http://www.leahscarddesigns.com/
Amber ~  http://my3escrapbooking.blogspot.com/
Lola ~ http://purplepeepstechniques.blogspot.com/
Cheryl ~ http://cardsbycg.blogspot.com/
Sandra ~ http://sweetpeascards.blogspot.com/

Valentine for my Hubby

This is the last Valentine project I am going to post until next year.   It is the card that I made for my Hubby!  If you read my blog, I'm sure you've noticed that I am not into the traditional Red/Pink Valentine this year(unless it is for the kids).  Just a state of mind this year.  I hope by next year my colors will come back!

All the material used on this card are from Stampin' Up!  The Stamp set is Artistic Etchings.  I think I will enter this into  Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturdays "Love is in the Air" Challenge.  I am starting to have a lot of fun with all these fun places to visit!

Crafty Twilight Mom Challenge

What a fun challenge for Crafty Twilight Mom.  My original submission ended up not happening because I did not have the carts I needed to complete it.  This is my only downfall with my Gypsy.  It shows me too much that I cannot have.  I wish we could just download a single cut when we need them!!  This item is not as creative but it is my Valentines Day Card for my BFF.  She is the one who threw a Twilight Book at me one day and said "you must read it"!!  I looked at it and said "I've got 3 kids and there is no way I have time to read a book that big"!!!  When I finally picked it up (to see what the fuss was about) I didn't put it down until I was done the next morning and then went out that day to buy the other 3 books!! 

I thought using shimmer paper would give it the same look as the cover of the books! The shimmer paper  is from a LSS (background, key, heart) and the red satin ribbon is from Michaels.  You can see my reflection taking the picture in the black background...hehe!!  I hope she doesn't see this on here before I drop it off to her!   

 Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!

Super Quick Valentine's Day Pages

I've spent a lot of time wrapping shoe boxes today but I did take 30 mins to sit down and scrap a few Valentine's Day Pages.

***You cannot see the "Kiss Blow" of stickles too well in this pic but that is ok because I accidentally stuck my arm in it while I was stitching the heart.  My trick for when this happens (because it happens a lot to me), I grab my Pampered Chef Nylon Pan Scraper and scrape it off quick.  It usually works if the stickles havn't dried but it was on the picture this time and left a little bit of a smudge.*** 

These are all last years Valentine's Day Pics.  We are truly blessed to have a wonderfully talented Preschool teacher.  Not only is she wonderful with the children, she is also a photographer!!  She takes pics of the kiddos every holiday, during fun events/field trips and just doing everyday tasks with them!  She is a scrapbookers dream!!  We absolutely love her!  We often joke that if my family keeps having kids, she can keep ME for a pretty long time.  This is our 3rd year there and as it stands right now, I will have a kid enrolled every year until 2016.  She loves all the crafty ideas I bring to the classroom and I love her pictures.  I think I am making out better on the deal because I get a really good excuse to spend the day crafting and I also get really awesome pictures!!  (For my local friends and family-please call me if you are looking for a photographer for any event or family pictures.  She does fabulous work)

I am submitting these pages for Die Cuttin Divas "Love is in the air" Challenge

Homemade Heart Crayons

I know homemade crayons are nothing new, but we love making them around our house mostly because Mommy has OCD and cannot stand messy, broken crayons!  I don't know what it is, but broken crayons make me cringe.  It is right up there with letting the kids use glitter...EEWWW.  I keep a nice crisp box of crayons hidden for Mommy to color with!  We get rid of the yucky ones by making nice, pretty new ones and what is great about them, they are usually too big for the kids to break!!  We usually make them for the kids at school for most holidays but last week I went in and made them with the kiddos at the preschool.  They had a blast (what kid doesn't love breaking crayons).  The cutest part of it was when we were pulling them out of the molds.  I sat there with the kids all huddled around me and as I pulled each one out and announce the owner of this brand new beauty, the whole group of kids would go "OHHHHH, AHHHHH" together in harmony.  They were thrilled with them!!!!

These ones are going to a few of the girl's special friends. I used My Creative Time Color Me Happy Sentiment as well as Hello Kitty and Create A Critter Cricut Cartridges.  I am entering them into Craft us Crazy's Anything Goes Challenge.

Valentine's Day Purses

These little cuties are for some of my crafty friends.  They were made using a tutorial called "Tres Chic Handbags" by Becky Roberts at Inking Idaho.  I added the pucker lips from the Indie Art Cartridge (I just want to put them on everything now)!  

The paper and ribbon are some more of my $0.50 Target treasures (I told you I got a lot of use out of it)!  Some of you had asked for me how I made the baby shower purses posted last month.  Mine are just a simple open ended box and then I look for a purse I like.  I freehand cut the front and back and attach them to the box.  They were really hard to replicate (which is why I made all different bags).  Becky's tutorials are really easy to follow and beautiful once completed.  I recommend you check her out!  I wish I had found her before I had made all my bags!

Valentine's Day Favors

Here are my girl's preschool favors.  I wanted these to be very, very simple because I know they will not make it very long once the kids get ahold of them.  I am using the same Target Dollar Zone paper (I got it on clearance last year and boy did I got a lot of work done on $0.50)!  Stamps are My Pink Stamper from the "Punny-licious" set.  All the favors inside are after Christmas shopping treasures!  I normally do not give the kids candy, but my daughter made a very good plead for it and they were 90% off.  The girls are getting Hello Kitty and the boys are getting the Little Stinkers.

And these are the boxes I am working on for the favors for each of the kids at the preschool.  

 I had seen something like them in last year's Family Fun magazine.  I think they were made using tissue boxes but we are having the kids all bring in a shoe box.  I had a few to get started on this weekend but I will need to wrap the other 20 this week.  Good thing I love wrapping presents!  We are going to help the kids cut their faces and decorate them.  Since these are 3-5 year olds, we'll put a picture on the boxes so they know whose box is whose when they pass out their favors!  I took these 2 into class on Friday, and it was so cute to watch the kids with them.  They were sitting over by the door and every so often I would look over and someone was there sticking their hand into the mouth and smiling!  I think they are going to be a big hit!

Thanks for stopping by today for all of my posts!  Oh, it is almost 1 am so it looks like this one is going to make it onto Monday!  Have a great day!

Kisses

I've been a busy girl!!!  Post number 3 for today.  Can you see that I really missed my computer last week?  I am working my way backwards through challenges from last week.  Here is my submission for the Flaunt it Fridays Challenge .  This weeks challenge was to use the Lips cut from the Indie Art Cartridge.  This is the first time I've used this cart since it was downloaded to my Gypsy and I was really excited to use it! 

You cannot tell from the picture but this is actually a covered small composition book.

I heat embossed the lips to make them look like a shiny pucker!

Stamp is My Creative Time from the Color Me Happy set

Solid cardstock and ribbon are Stampin' Up!

Pattern Paper is from Target

Oval punch is Stampin' Up!

Indie Art Cartridge

This pattern paper pack cost me $0.50 last year after Valentine's Day!  It came in a pack 8 sheets from the Dollar Zone and it was on clearance!  Can't pass that up!  I used it for another project that I will probably post later tonight.  After working with these lips, I am adding a little something to it!  Stop back later for my 4th and final post of the day!  I told you I have been a busy girl! 

Inspiration in the form of Preschool Valentines

Today MPS was asking what Inspired us today with posts from each of her DT members.  There are some amazing projects and if you haven't already, you need to check them out http://www.mypinkstamper.com/2011/01/love-is-in-air-my-pink-designers.html 
I decided I had to share my children's Valentines for this year.  We had a snow day last week, so the girls and I got started on their cards for their classmates.  As much as I would love to Cricut them, this year I decided to let them make their own cards (but I'm making their treat bags).   They are 3 and 4 so stamping and punching is easier than piecing little cuts of paper together.  They picked out a spider stamp from the retired Cute a Bug Stampin' Up! set.  (Salebration begins today...WOOHOO!)  I first had them stamp the hearts on the background from the retired SU Sprinkles set.  We stamped the Spiders on Whisper White and they colored in the hearts.  They then punched them with the scallop circle punch.  They did the same with the "I like you" heart inside the card (from SU Family Phrases set).
They could punch stuff all day if I let them and they are pretty good with lining them up to get the whole image!   They get a lot of practice because when I am really busy with a project, I will throw a bunch of scrap paper or recycle paper on the bed with a few punches and I let them go to town.  It keeps them busy and gives me time to work while the baby is napping! 
Back to the card.  The fancy lacey border punch on the front is Martha Stewart which is one punch I do not let them use.  First because it makes a terrible mess and second because MS punches are terrible quality punches.  This punch actual broke while we were working on these (you'll see the back rows are missing the red border).  I had to return it, again!  I am now on #3 for this punch and I am starting to think MS does not like Stampin' Up paper!  I am hoping I do not have to return this one.   The girls glued everything on and by this point they were done so I stamped the happy valentines day (SU teey tiny wishes) and we set them aside until I could return the punch/finish them. 

Today when we pulled them out to work on them again something my 3 year old said yesterday Inspired me to add one more thing to them!  Yesterday she was playing with her Barbies.  Her Mommy barbie was talking to a whole group of other barbies/pets/ponies. She said to the group in her Mommy Barbie voice "You'll live forever if you have Jesus in your heart"! I was so touched that this came from my 3 yr old who I thought never listens to me! I realized that I've been so busy with everything in life that I haven't been sharing the Lord with them everyday like I should. So now, just from hearing that come from her little heart, I am going to work harder on sharing! It inspired me today to have them stamp "Don't forget to pray" from My Pink Stampers Faithful Sayings set on each one of their Valentines for school.   Then my 4 year old and I were reading in her Cubbies(AWANA) book.   Her verse to memorize today is Psalm 31:14  ...I trust in You, O Lord... and after working on her verse, she wanted to use the "Trust in the Lord" stamp.  

We are so blessed that we were placed into this life in an area of the world where we get to celebrate Valentines Day and we have the fun little cards and trinkets.  During a holiday like Valentines Day it is sometimes forgetten how fortunate we are.  I think this is a great way for my family to give thanks for the holiday fun and to share the Lord with all 24 of their classmates!    

 Sorry for such a long post today.  I am a SAHM and a volunteer at my children's preschool so my adult interaction is limited.  I tend to talk too much whenever I get the chance!  Next time, I will simply type up a list for my recipe.  If you are still reading, I was happy to share with you our journey to completing our 2011 Valentine Cards.  Thanks for Reading!