Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Hershey's Bunny Wrappers

Hi Everyone!

I have been spending my time creating birthday gifts for my daughter and treats for Easter baskets.  Today I'd like to share an idea for wrapping Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bunnies.  They are sold in a package of 6 bunnies.  I have been creating these wrappers for years and I am not sure where I originally found the idea. 


For each bunny you will need a piece patterned paper that is 4" tall by 5" wide.  Score the paper at .5", 2.25",  2.75" and 4.5 ".  Use a 1 3/8" circle punch or one that is close to that size to punch a hole in the paper where the bunny's face will peek through. 

Fold along the score lines.  Attach a piece of Scor-tape along the edge of the fold at the 4.5" mark.  Place the bunny in the wrapper and tape the wrapper together. 

I used washi tape to decorate the top and bottom edges of the wrapper.  Enjoy!

Sunday, March 29, 2020

"Carrots"

Hi Everyone!

I hope that all of you are doing well.  Happily as far as I know my family and friends are healthy.  I am hoping that all of us will stay that way.

I have been creating treats for my family's Easter baskets. 

I used Annie's Cheddar Bunnies to make these "carrots." 

The crackers are placed in some decorative triangular bags that were stored with my Easter decorations.  However, many times I have used triangular cake decorating bags and they look very similar to these carrots.  I put about 3/4" cup of crackers in each bag and tied them tightly with some patterned ribbon. 

If you don't have cheddar bunnies maybe you have goldfish crackers which I have used many times.  Or maybe you have some cheese balls or really any orange snack food you have will work.

Take care.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Easter Snack Mix

Hi Everyone,

Hope that you are all doing well and finding ways to entertain yourselves during these days of social isolation. 

One of the people I follow on Instagram and her blog is thebakermama.  She shares great ideas for food boards, snacks, and meals.  She shared photographs and a recipe for an Easter Snack Mix that I just made for my family.

This mix is perfect for Spring and Easter.  If you google thebakermama and the words "Easter Snack Mix" you will find her photographs and recipe.  Now if you are not able to find the exact ingredients that she used please do not stress.  Follow her recipe in terms of quantities and make any substitutions you need or want to use.  Here are the ingredients I used.

By the way thebakermama released her first book a few months ago.  It is called Beautiful Boards and is an awesome book. I refer to it over and over again when I am preparing food boards for my family and friends.

Take care.

Friday, March 27, 2020

Thinking of You cards

Hi Everyone!

I have a friend who turned 98 last week.  Like many of us she has been housebound for weeks.  She told me how much she enjoys studying and reading the cards that people have been sending her.  After speaking with her I was motivated to work on my "thinking of you" cards.


This card is an easy one to create.  The tulips and bow were created with a Martha Stewart paper punch.  I used a die to create the little tag.  The layering paper is embossed.  Many of us love tulips which is why I chose them for this card, but you could use any punch that you have.


My friend and I are hoping that soon we will be seeing birds, bees, butterflies and flowers in our yards again.  That conversation inspired me to create some  "bee" cards.  These bees were created from a Hero Arts stamp and die set.  The sentiment was created with an Art C stamp. 


Here are those same bees presented in a different way.  The sentiment is from the Open Studio Bee Yourself stamp set.


This was another easy card to create.  Many people send friends and family cards at Christmas, Valentine's Day and for their birthday.  Why not send some cards just to brighten their day?

Take care.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Birds Display

Hi Everyone!

I really enjoy creating tiered displays for our kitchen, dining room, and living room.  Lately I have seen more and more birds at our feeder.  I decided to create a display with a birds theme.


I was thrilled to find a couple of small wooden birdhouses on my craft shelves.  I used acrylic paint to paint them.  I added strips of washi tape to the round one.  Then I used my Cricut Explore Air 2 to create the words for the birdhouses and the chalkboard sign.  My friend Diane made the felted eggs for the little nest.  I love the different textures of the birds. 

You may want to check out posts on Instagram by dugansgirls and my simple little home.  They are 2 of the people who inspire me to create tiered displays.

Enjoy the birds that you might see in your backyard.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Hope

Hi Everyone,

Today I have just one word to share with you.


This word is meaningful to each of us in different ways.

Crafting is often a stress reliever for me.  Last night I created a few HOPE signs like the one shown above.  I used acrylic paint to paint some strips of wood that I had in my stash.  Then I used my Cricut Air Explore 2 and some vinyl to create the lettering for the signs. 

Hope that you are all doing well in these highly stressful times.  Take care.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Yellow Tiered Display

Hi Everyone!

Like me, my kitchen is 67 years old.  The stove and dishwasher are each less than 5 years old, but the countertop, cabinets and floor are the originals.  Or at least they were here when we moved into this house 37 years ago.  But both of my adult children  have commented more than once that it is the best kitchen in the world.  We have prepped many meals together in that small old-age room.  I cannot afford to update the countertop, cabinets or floor at this time, but I still brighten up the room by changing the banners in the window and the displays I create.

The inspiration for this yellow tiered display came from dugansgirls like so many of my other displays do.  I have used the wired tiered stand at parties and holidays to hold food, but until now I hadn't used it for a display.  The shelves on it are wired ones much like a cake rack would be.  So it's not easy to stand things on them.  But it finally dawned on me to cover each rack with a patterned paper circle.  Problem solved.  It worked!


I used my Cricut Air Explore 2 and some vinyl to create the 2 framed displays.  I also made the flower pot chick that I wrote about yesterday.  Everything else is store bought.  The tulips are silk ones as are the pink ones that are now "blooming" in the pink tiered display I showcased the other day. 

Hope this display virtually brightens your day too.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Easter Flower Pots

Hi Everyone!

I love using terra-cotta clay pots to create seasonal and holiday decorations.  Here are some that I made for Easter.

You can use any size pot to create these decorations.  The ones in this photograph are mini terra-cotta clay pots that I stocked up on last Spring.  I bought them at the Dollar Tree Store where they sell at least 3 sizes of them, but they are considered a seasonal item there.  You can buy them in craft stores and garden centers throughout the year.

I apply at least 2 coats of acrylic paint to the pots before I decorate them.  Tacky glue or a hot glue gun is used to adhere the features to the pots.  There's a piece of a pipe cleaner between the pink and tan felt pieces on the ears so that they can be bent easily.  I used jewelry wire to create the whiskers for the bunny.  The wings and feet on the chick were created from fun foam. 

I use the mini pots as favors at each place setting.  They may not be food safe so I put candy treats in a clear treat bag before I put the treats in the pots.


Larger pots make adorable decorations. 

Take care!

I'm back!

Hi Everyone!

It has been nearly 1.5 years since I last posted on this site.  I have decided it's time to start blogging again.  Blogging is my way of sharing creativity on the Internet.  Blogging is my way of keeping a journal about many of my creations.  For years most of my posts were about paper crafts I had done.  My interests have expanded over the years and now many of those interests will be shared on this blog.  I also post ideas on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest from time to time. 

My daughter and I started following dugansgirls on Instagram several months ago.  She has been the inspiration for the tiered displays my daughter and I create for our homes. 

Here's a photo of the Easter tiered display I created yesterday.


I often create signs or shadow boxes for my displays.  Look at the "Happy Easter" sign in the photo.  I used a chalkboard place card from Target as the base of my sign.

I used my Cricut Explore Air 2 and some vinyl from JoAnn's to create the lettering on the sign.  The rabbit on the sign is a tiny felt rabbit from a package that my friend Toni sent me.  I added a tiny white pompom to it for a tail.  I used a Martha Stewart bow paper punch to create the tiny bow on the sign.  If you don't own a Cricut you could use stickers or chalk pens to create the words and images on your sign. 

I still love creating and sending cards to friends and family. Here's one of the Easter cards I recently made.


I used washi tape from Eyelet Outlet to create the layering paper for my card.  Washi tape comes in a wide range of widths and patterns and is easy to use.  I cut the layering paper for my card so that it measures 4" x 5.25".  When I apply washi tape to the paper I always wrap it so that a little of it is on the back of the paper.  That way it doesn't unwrap and looks smooth and even.  The "Happy Easter" sentiment was created with a clear stamp from Lawn Fawn

Well, that's it for today.  I'll be back again soon to share more inspiration with you.