{Ginger Snap Crafts}

burlap wreath {tutorial}

2012-03-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

If you haven’t heard about the brand new
Pinspired & Rewired Pinterest Challenge
you can check out all the details here.

This month’s theme is wreaths.

Today all the host including me (Yay!) will be sharing our wreath tutorials on our blogs!
So check out The Gunny Sack, Southern Lovely and Family Ever After
today to see their amazing wreaths.

So here we go….here’s how I made this super cute & easy {burlap} wreath.

Supplies you’ll need:
one 12 inch wire wreath frame
2 1/2 yards of burlap cut into 1 inch x 12 inch strips

Basically you just tie the strips to your frame.
Yep, it’s pretty simple.
I started on the outside edge & worked my way
toward the middle doing one section at a time.

I didn’t double knot them.
I just tied them once & that seem to do the trick.
(Can I just say burlap is soooooooooooo smelly,
& I was covered head to toe in burlap “dust”!)

This actually was a pretty fast project. (That’s the kind I LOVE!)
FYI: To make a hanger on the back I just tied a piece of twine around one of the wires.
I really LOVE how it turned out….yes, it was worth the smell & the dust!
Just glad it’s hanging outside!

My Pinspiration:

This hello sign from Johnny in a Dress is so adorable.
I didn’t have room to hang a sign soooo
I just added a cheery hello to
my font door along with my new wreath.
I made the hello. using my Silhouette
& some cream vinyl using the Little Days font.

Inspiration for my technique came from
this rag wreath from The Crafty Polkadot.

Annnd of course, my use of burlap was inspired
this burlap wreath from Made in a Day.

Don’t forget to check out the other wreath tutorials today
at The Gunny Sack, Southern Lovely and Family Ever After.
Have you started on your wreath???
Link party starts on Monday, March 26th.
Winners will be announced Friday, March 30th.

some wreath pinspiration {pinterest challenge}

2012-03-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

So how was your weekend??? Fabulous, I hope!
Well if YOU checked in on Friday you saw the BIG announcement!
Ginger Snap Crafts along with Southern Lovely, The Gunny Sack & Family Ever After
are hosting a brand new Pinterest Challenge called Pinspired & Rewired!
Each month we’ll Pin it. Make it. Share it. Win it!
You can find all the details here.

This month the theme is wreaths.
You can check out my wreath inspiration board here.

This month’s sponsor is Pick Your Plum.
First, second & third place winners
will receive a swag box full
of crafty Pick Your Plum goodies! Yay!

Check out these fabulous products from Pick Your Plum!!!!
These products won't necessarily be in
the winner's boxes, but it gives YOU a good idea of what
awesomeness YOUR Pick Your Plum box could contain if you win!

Tomorrow I’ll be sharing my tutorial on my pinspired {burlap} wreath!
(Tonia, Lindsay & Rachel will be sharing their tutorials, too! So fun!)

So grab a button & play along.

Hope you are having a happy Monday!
See YOU tomorrow!

Pinspired & Rewired {pinterest challenge}

2012-03-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

PINSPIRED and REWIRED

We have been busy planning a new blogging series,
and we are so excited to announce it today!
The series consists of the 4 hosts picking an inspiration project from Pinterest.
We then made our own version (adding our own twist, of course),
& we’ll reveal it in a just a minute along with the theme.
Then you will have 3 weeks to do the same.
Pin it. Make it. Share it. Win it!

THE HOSTS

Southern Lovely, Family Ever After, Ginger Snap Crafts, and The Gunny Sack

SPONSORED BY

Pick Your Plum

TIMELINE

First Friday of the Month (March 2)~ Theme and host's projects are revealed
Second Tuesday of the Month (March 6)~ Host's tutorial available on her blog
Last week of the Month (March 26-29)~ Link Party Contest held Monday thru Thursday;
Link party will be found on all 4 blogs!
Last Friday of the Month (March 30)~ Winners announced!
That gives you 3 weeks to work on a project to enter!

THE RULES

1. Before entering your project, you must follow each host's blog.

2. You must have a blog to enter the contest.

3. You must place the Pinspired and Rewired Button in your post or on your sidebar.
(Button found at the end of this post.)

4. Your project must be inspired from Pinterest.
(Please include a link to your pinsperation in your post.)

5. Your project must have been posted within the last 60 days.

6. The 4 hosts will be the judges and will choose our top 3 favorites.

PRIZES

1st Place:
$75 worth of merchandise from Pick Your Plum
+ guest judge spot for next month

2nd Place:
$50 worth of merchandise from Pick Your Plum

3rd Place:
$25 worth of merchandise from Pick Your Plum

THIS MONTH’S THEME

Wreaths

Remember: Your project must be inspired
by any wreath you’ve pinned or have seen on Pinterest.
Remember to include a link to your pinsperation in your post!

OUR "PINSPERATION"

Burlap Wreath from Made In a Day

HOST PROJECTS REVEALED

*Tutorials for each project will be available on each blog on Tuesday.

GET YOUR GAME ON!

The link party goes up on all 4 blogs Monday, March 26!

We can't wait to see what you come up with!
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact any of the hosts.
So grab a button, and play along! Good luck!

take a look at you {my favorites}

2012-03-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

It’s my favorite day of the week…I get to feature some of YOU! Yay!
This week’s party is still going on so feel free to link up {here} if you haven’t yet!

Thank you all so much for sharing each week!

Here’s a FEW of favorites
from last week’s {wow me} wednesday party!

Ruffled Beanie Hat from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

Earth-toned Baby Shower from Homemaker on a Dime

DIY Inspiration Board from Pieced Pastimes

Pallet Bookshelves from Six Sister’s Stuff

Pin Tucked Duvet Cover from Be Sweetly Inspired

Easy Baby Blanket from Lil’ Mrs. Crafty

Crate Redo from Blue Star Antiques

{P.S. I love you} Clip Board from Two Yellow Birds Décor

Master Bedroom Reveal from Paint Speckled Pawprints

St. Patrick’s Day Printable from Maiden D’Shade

Thanks so much for sharing, ladies.

If you were featured feel free to grab a featured button!

Don’t forget to link up to this week’s party if you haven’t yet. :) {Link up here!}

{wow me} wednesday #40

2012-02-28T19:00:00.001-06:00

Welcome to
{wow me} wednesday!

So glad YOU are here!

How are YOU doing?
This week has been busy, busy for me!
The hubby is gone :(, but he’ll be back tomorrow! Yay!
I’ve been working on something BIG for Friday,
so make sure you check back in then!!! So here we go…..
The {top five} links from last week were…..

Craft Room Peg Board from How to Nest For Less,
French Braided Fishtail from The View from in Here,
60 Free St. Patrick’s Day Printables from Craftionary,

Homemade Potato Chips from Life’s Jewelry Box,
Nursery Wall Letters from Desperate Craftwives

I’ll be featuring some
more of my favorites on Thursday at
{take a look at you}.So check back then to see if it was
YOU who made me say WOW! ;)
Now on to the party!

The “rules” are simple.

Follow Ginger Snap Crafts. {Thank you!}

Grab a button or add a link somewhere on your blog.

Must be something made by YOU.

Link up to your post, not your main blog.

{No etsy shops, giveaways or business links, please.}

Visit other links, make new friends & most of all have fun!

Feel free to grab my {wow me} wednesday button!

FYI: Links are in random order…so each link will have a chance at the top spot. :)

{Can’t wait to see what YOU link up!}

tutorial {kiss me, I’m Irish block}

2012-02-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

Today I’d love to show you how to make this super simple
kiss me, I’m Irish block for St. Patrick’s Day.

For this project you’ll need:wood block (5 in. by 7 in.)
green paint/foam brush
scrapbook paper
white cardstock
Elmer’s Spray Adhesive
tulle/St. Patrick’s Day ribbon
vinyl lettering using Susie’s Hand & century gothic fonts

1
Paint your wood green & let it dry, then cut a piece of scrapbook paper to fit your block.
Use the Elmer’s Spray Adhesive to glue your paper to your block of wood.

2
Cut a piece of white cardstock just smaller than your wood block.
Glue that on with your Elmer’s Spray Adhesive.

3
Apply your vinyl lettering.
For more detailed vinyl lettering instructions click HERE.

4
Tie some ribbon around the top.
Add a little tulle. That’s it! Super cute!

If you didn’t see my matching {lucky} block click HERE.

Hope to see you back here tonight for {wow me) wednesday!

tutorial {blocks that say a lot}

2012-02-27T07:00:00.001-06:00

If you follow my blog you’ve heard my BIG news already!
I’m the new Craft Contributor over on Lil’ Luna.
A couple of weeks ago I shared this post….
thought I’d share it over here just in case you missed seeing it!

Today I'd love to show you how to make

these super fun & versatile {blocks that say a lot}.
From these 7 blocks with 4 letters on each one

you can make 15+ seasonal words!!

I got the idea from Keirste at Brown Paper Packages.

You'll need the following supplies:

a 4x4 cut into 7 square blocks
(You can buy 4x4's at Home Depot or Lowes.)
paint & paint brushes

sand paper
*vinyl lettering

*For my vinyl lettering I used a few of my favorite fonts.
I wanted my blocks to mismatched & kind of fun.
FYI: I used a different font on each block.

Fonts I used:

cafe rojo, hula skirt girl,

ck chemistry, elise, fontmoochers,

high tower text, impervious

I slightly sanded my blocks, and then I painted them.
FYI: I also painted each block a different color.
Thought they'd look cute like that.
Then just let the paint dry,
and then you'll apply your vinyl lettering.

BLOCK 1- H, Y, E, D
BLOCK 2- A, C, R, S
BLOCK 3- R, P, E, T
BLOCK 4- V, N, L, O
BLOCK 5- E, O, M, D
BLOCK 6- S, M, K, I
BLOCK 7- T, F, B, W

That's it! Super cute & easy! :)

Here are some of the words you can spell:

Family
Blessed
Snow
Home Harvest Spooky
Winter

Mother
Dream
Easter
Freedom
Welcome
Friends
Faith
Hope
Monster

Can you think of any others???

Hope you are having a great Monday!

tutorial {lucky block}

2012-02-24T07:00:00.001-06:00

When I first got my Silhouette almost 2 years ago,
my goal was to make a cute, simple decoration for each holiday.
Nothing big or grand just something cute & easy.
Well….two years later I’m still working on that goal!
One of the last holidays on my to-do list was St. Patrick’s Day.
So I thought I’d better get busy!
I actually made two simple projects….today I’ll show you my {lucky} block.
I’ll show you the other one next week….suspense…suspense.
(If you look close you can probably figure it out though.)

UPDATE: You can check out my other St. Patrick’s Day project here.

Here’s what you’ll need for BOTH projects:
wood blocks
(My {lucky} block measures about 2 x 5 inches.)
green paint/ foam brushes
spray adhesive
paper cutter
St. Patrick’s Day ribbon
white tulle
scrapbook paper

Paint your wood green & then let dry.
Cut the scrapbook paper to measure just smaller than your block of wood.
Using the spray adhesive glue your scrapbook paper to your block of wood.

Apply your vinyl lettering.

UPDATE: I used Susie’s Hand font for lucky and

the dots are just…. periods….. using Century Gothic font.

(For more detailed instructions on how to apply vinyl lettering click here.)
Then tie ribbon & tulle around your block.
That’s it! Super cute, GREEN & easy!

Have a wonderful weekend!

I’ll see YOU back here on Monday.

take a look at you {my favorites}

2012-02-23T14:30:00.001-06:00

It’s my favorite day of the week…
I get to feature some of YOU! Yay!This week’s party is still going on
so feel free to link up {here} if you haven’t yet!

Thank you all so much for sharing each week!

Here’s a FEW of favorites
from last week’s {wow me} wednesday party!

A New Diaper Bag from Snug as a Bug Baby

{52 Things} A Year in a Jar from The Gunny Sack

Two Ingredient Cake from Lady in the Red Rocker

Baby Boy Quilt from December Skye

Cheesecake with Glazed Berries from Everyday Art

Color My World Printable from It’s a Crafty Life

DIY Damask Cabinet from Moments with the Montano’s

Hello Entry Way Sign from Johnny in a Dress

Simple Fruit Dip from Texas Cottage

Ruffle Bag from Old T-Shirts from Triple Tasking

Side Table Re-do from Rustic Living

Thanks so much for sharing, ladies.

If you were featured feel free to grab a featured button!

Don’t forget to link up to this week’s party if you haven’t yet. :) {Link up here!}

blogging tips {featuring & being featured}

2012-02-23T07:00:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite things about blogging is featuring YOU!
I remember when I got my first feature in May of last year!
I was soooooooooooooo excited!
(I still get excited when I get featured!! Yay!)
During the first six months of this blog
just about all my traffic came from
link parties & being featured by YOU!
I really appreciate all of YOU who featured me
& gave my little blog a chance to grow!

I don’t really do many blogging tip post!
I still feel like I am still sooooo new at this blogging thing!
Buuut something was brought to my attention
last week from a fellow blogger,
so I thought I’d better share what I learned.

Up until last week I had no idea what a “hot link” was…
but apparently I’d been “hot linking” in my feature posts.
(If you were like me & don’t know what a “hot link” is it just means
you copy & paste a picture into your blog post from another blog.)
Sounds harmless enough…but when you do this the
picture is still actually hosted on the blog you copied it from.

Most of the time this isn’t a problem,
but if the blog you copied the picture from doesn’t have
unlimited bandwidth or if their pictures are
hosted by Photobucket or another photo service
this can cause their blog to exceed it’s bandwidth limit,
& then all the pictures on their blog turn to something like this:

Yikes! Noooot good!

So how do you feature other bloggers?

Simple.
When you right click on the picture,
instead of “copy image” click on “save image as…”.
Then save the picture on your computer.
(I made a file folder called “features” to save my feature pictures in.)
Then upload them to your blog as you normally do.
This way your blog is hosting the picture,
& you won’t be “taking” bandwidth from another blog.

TIP: When you save the pictures (& ANY other pictures for your blog)
rename them using descriptive words. This will help boost your SEO.

Annnd of course, always link back when you are featuring another blogger
and never post an entire tutorial. Use one or two pictures & link back to the source.
………………………………………………….

Being featured is an important part of blogging!
When you are first starting out this is the
BEST way to get your name out there!

So how do you get featured???

1. Link up!!!!

When I first started blogging I linked up
to as many link parties as I could each week.
I really appreciate each of YOU who host link parties each week.

I’d link up to the big ones like
TT& J, Someday Crafts & Tip Junkie.
I’d also link up to smaller blogs.
Sometimes I’d get more traffic
from the smaller blogs than the larger ones.
(Buuuuut if you do get featured by a huge blog…
watch out here comes the traffic! Yay!)

2. Add blogs with {link parties} to your blog roll.

When I found a link party I liked
I’d add that blog to my blog roll right on the front of my blog.
Each morning I’d check my blog, & see what parties were posted.
This made it lots easier not to miss a party.
Plus it’s important to link back to those blogs that host the parties.
It’s a lot of work hosting parties! So be polite & always link back.

3. Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

Take nice, clear, BIG pictures!
You don’t have to have a fancy camera.
This is the camera that I use to take pictures on my blog.
It’s a simple Canon point & shoot camera….nothing fancy at all.
(It does have a fancy camera strap though!
Thank you Tracy from The Crafty Polkadot!)

For my blog pictures I take pictures by a window…with lots of natural light.
Usually in the morning before lunch is the best time to take pictures at my house.
I don’t use a flash. I get as close as I can to what I’m taking a picture of.
Learn how your camera works & find the best spot to take your pictures.
For me my kitchen table is the best spot in the house…lots of windows.
That’s why you see my table in most of my craft post.

TIP: Taking pictures outside works great, too!

You don’t want fuzzy out of focus pictures,
if you do your chances of being featured aren’t good.

4. Watermark your pictures!!!!

When you start linking up your projects to link parties
make sure your pictures are watermarked
with your blog name.

Chances are if your project is featured
someone is going to pin it straight from the feature post
instead of going back to your blog & pinning it from there.
(Remember lots of “pinners’ aren’t bloggers
& don’t realize the importance of linking back.)
So make sure there is way to find you!

For my watermark I use my whole blog name with the .com.
This makes it super easy for someone to type in
gingersnapcrafts.com, & then my blog would pop right up.

So do you have in tips on featuring or being featured??

I’ll be back this afternoon with my
{take a look at you} feature post!

Hope to see YOU then!

girl’s night out {shopping for Charlie Perfume} #Cbias

2012-02-22T14:00:00.000-06:00

If you are looking for {wow me} wednesday go here.
The Par-tay is still going on! :)

Last night we had our own little party around our house.
My girls & I had a much needed Girl’s Night Out!! Yay!!
We did a little shopping, of course!
We were on the look out for some Charlie Perfume!

Do YOU remember having Charlie Perfume back in the day? I sure do!

I’ve blogged about my Grandmother before.
You can check out that post here.
She was an amazing lady!
After having 5 boys of her own,
she was beyond thrilled
to have so many granddaughters.
I was lucky enough to be
her oldest granddaughter…the first.
So she spoiled me rotten!
Annnnd I loved every minute of it!

Here are some photos from our Girl’s Night Out shopping trip!
You can see our whole shopping trip over on Google +.

When I was a teenager & started wearing makeup
she would always give me Revlon makeup for Christmas!
One of the things she always bought me was Charlie Perfume!
Oh….the memories!
Thought it would be fun to get some
Charlie perfume for my own daughters.
My girls aren’t old enough for make-up yet
but we do let them wear a little perfume sometimes.

Our shopping trip was a blast! We had so much fun checking out all the girly stuff at Walmart!
Rachel from Bubbly Nature Creations told me about the Dollar Section at Walmart
& how they had these cute bins & matching candy dishes for just a buck!
So we had to check that out for sure!

I picked up a couple of bins & a matching candy dish.
Look the “candy” dish works perfect as a ring holder!
Annnnd it matches our new bottle of Charlie Perfume! Sweet!

{Did YOU have a favorite perfume growing up?}

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias
All opinions are my own.

{wow me} wednesday #39

2012-02-21T19:00:00.001-06:00

Welcome to
{wow me} wednesday!

So glad YOU are here!

Drum roll please…

The winner of the $50.00 Pick Your Plum Box is……

Comment #135 Samantha
(Thank you, random.org!)

Here are the {top five} links from last week!

Distressed Photo Art from Midwestern Sewing Girl

{DIY} Magnetic Board & Fingerprint Magnets from Little Lucy Lu

Mr. and Mrs. Signs from One Dog Woof

Photo Magnets from Cope & Hope

Rainbow Cake from Raising Memories

I’ll be featuring some
more of my favorites on Thursday at
{take a look at you}.So check back then to see if it was
YOU who made me say WOW! ;)
{Now on to the party!}

The “rules” are simple.

Follow Ginger Snap Crafts. {Thank you!}

Grab a button or add a link somewhere on your blog.

Must be something made by YOU.

Link up to your post, not your main blog.

{No etsy shops, giveaways or business links, please.}

Visit other links, make new friends & most of all have fun!

Feel free to grab my {wow me} wednesday button!

FYI: Links are in random order…so each link will have a chance at the top spot. :)

{Can’t wait to see what YOU link up!}

tutorial {DIY pencil & pen holders}

2012-02-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

In my post yesterday did you notice my cute pencil holder??

I think it turned out sooooo cute!
Annnd best of all it was super easy & CHEAP to make!

Supplies: Elmer’s Spray Adhesive, empty & CLEAN tin cans
ruler & paper cutter, scrapbook paper, chalkboard vinyl

First cut your scrapbook paper the same height as your can.
Then spray the spray adhesive to the back. (I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this stuff!)
Then wrap your scrapbook paper around your can.

Then apply your chalkboard vinyl labels.
(For more detailed instructions on how to apply vinyl lettering click here.)
Then you can use a chalk marker to write the words pencils & pens. That’s it!

I think it looks sooooo nice with my fancy new X-ACTO Spira pencil sharpener.
(Remember you can click the ad in my sidebar for a $3.00 off coupon!)

tutorial {organizing your home office} #XACTO

2012-02-20T07:00:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my home office.
For you guys that read my blog regularly it should
look pretty familiar because it also doubles as my craft room! ;)

Annnnd if you read my blog
you also know we have 5 kiddos, too.
So our 4 bedroom/2 bath home is full!
Every room is filled to the top with kiddos, toys
& all their fun stuff which doesn’t leave
much room for anything else especially office work.
Buuuut just because we are short on space
doesn’t mean we can’t be organized!
(Actually it probably means
I’ve got to be a little more organized!) :)
Annnnd tax season is upon us!
So I’ve really got to be on top of that!
Thought it would be fun to show you some tips
on how I keep everything organize & easy to find.
So when tax season rolls around I’m ready!

First up & the most critical thing you
need for tax time is all of those important papers.
I love these file folders you can find at Walmart.
They are closed on the sides. So important things
like receipts & bills can’t slip out. Love the colors, too!
I label each one, so I know where to put what papers.
Since my blog is actually making a little money now…yay!
I added a folder for this year labeled “blog”.
I’ll keep all of my receipts, expenses & payments
in this folder throughout the year, so next year I’ll be
able to document everything when it comes time to pay taxes.

The second thing you need on
hand is plenty of office supplies.
When you sit down to do your taxes
the last thing you need is
a broken pencil with no sharpener
or to be out of copy paper or printer ink.
Make sure you have everything you need.
I love to stock up when school supplies
are so cheap at the beginning of school,
and since I had a coupon (Yay!) I recently
picked up an X-ACTO Spira pencil sharpener at Walmart.
Oh my goodness! It is sooooo fancy!
By the way it comes in fun colors, too!
I chose basic black…but they also have red & white!
(Did you know that X-ACTO is a division of Elmer’s??? Yep, it is!)

Click here for your coupon for an X-ACTO Spira pencil sharpener.

You can check out more of my shopping trip over on google+.
Annnd yes, we took 4 of the 5 kids…those kind of shopping trips are always an adventure.

Finally, the third thing you need to
have are those very important tax formsand access to tax help if you need it.
I know a lot of people don’t have
lots good things to say about the IRS
but they really do have an awesome website.
You can find answers to questions, research topics
& download & print just about any tax form you’ll need.
I have also used several popular
tax software companies to do our family taxes.
The right tax software can really make it easy.
If you have extra income coming in from a blog or etsy shop
most of these programs can walk you
through the process of filing your taxes.
Many local community centers & libraries also offer free tax help. :)
Just check around your local community,
& I’m sure you can find some help if you need it!

So hopefully with just a little organizing tax time goes a bit more smoothly!
So how do you organize for tax season?

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias

All opinions are my own.

tutorial {mission bank} + glass block review

2012-02-17T07:00:00.001-06:00

I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
One of the cool things about our Church is
that all young men are encouraged to serve a mission.

picture source

To do this they have to prepare themselves both spiritually & financially.
Since I have 3 boys we talk about missions a lot in our family. :)
(My husband served a mission in Macon Georgia.)
We encourage our boys to save up for their missions, too.
One of my favorite Primary songs is I Hope They Call Me on a Mission.
So what a perfect combo a mission bank with those words
on it as a reminder of their goal to serve a mission.

I was recently able to do a review for Quality Glass Block.
Along with glass blocks & windows for homeowners, they also carry a line of craft blocks.

I was surprised when I opened the box & saw all the options I had with this glass block.
This glass block comes with 3 plastic inserts that each could be used differently.
It has an insert with a slit for a bank, one that fits an electrical cord, & it even has an insert
that closes the block off if you’d like to do that. So many options! How cool is that!?

As soon as I saw the bank option I knew
exactly what I was going to make with my block-
a mission bank for my 8 year old son! :)

This is a very simple & easy project.
All you’ll need is your glass block
& some vinyl lettering.

Here’s a list of the fonts I used for this project.

I hope
howser

they call
wish I were taller

me on a
mr and mrs popsicle

{mission}
my own topher

FYI: The tie clip art I got from the Silhouette online store.

Then you just apply your vinyl lettering.
For more detailed vinyl lettering instructions you can click here.

For the tie I just layered two different colors of vinyl. So cute!
I even added a tie up on the top of the bank.

So there you go! A super fun & easy project. :)

Disclosure: I was given a glass block to review. Other than that I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

take a look at you {my favorites}

2012-02-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

It’s my favorite day of the week…I get to feature some of YOU! Yay!
This week’s party is still going on so feel free to link up {here} if you haven’t yet!

Thank you all so much for sharing each week!

Here’s a FEW of favorites
from last week’s {wow me} wednesday party!

I Love You Pallet Art from Home Delicious

Napkins into Pillows from Dwell on Joy

How to Paint A Striped Wall by Visual Eye Candy

Reversible Tote from Happy in Red

Remote Caddy from Color Me Domestic

Annnnd another one from Color Me Domestic,
a Magnetic Pin Dish. So cute!

Burlap Wreath from Made in a Day

Perfect Paint Lines from Project Queen

Rustic Wreath from DIY Kinda Girl

Flat Bread Pizza from A Step in the Journey

Thanks so much for sharing, ladies.

If you were featured feel free to grab a featured button!

Don’t forget to link up to this week’s party if you haven’t yet. :) {Link up here!}

{wow me} wednesday #38 + a $50 Pick Your Plum giveaway!!!!!

2012-02-14T19:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to
{wow me} wednesday!

So glad YOU are here!

Remember last week when I told you we hit 500 link ups??!!
Well, we couldn’t let that pass without a little celebration!!!! Wahoo!!!

Sooooo can YOU think of a better way to celebrate
500 crafty link ups than by giving away a
$50 Pick Your Plum Box full of swank crafting swag!!!!????
I think not! :) Wahoo!!! I am sooooo excited for one of YOU!!!!

Check out these fabulous products from Pick Your Plum!!!!
These products won't necessarily be in the winner's box,
but it gives YOU a good idea of what
awesomeness YOUR Pick Your Plum box could contain!

Now for the good part….how to enter!!!

Winner must be a follower of Ginger Snap Crafts either through
GFC, RSS feed, facebook or the new Linky Followers.
Winner also must have a U.S. shipping address.

TO ENTER:

Like Pick Your Plum on facebook.
Let them know Ginger Snap Crafts sent ya!

or

Sign up for the Pick Your Plum Newsletter.
(You’ll really want to do this so you don’t miss out on any PYP deals!)

If you do both that counts as TWO entries!! :)

EXTRA ENTRIES:

Link up your project.

Share this giveaway on facebook, twitter or on your blog.

What has been your favorite PYP product?

How long have you been linking up at {wow me} wednesday?

Leave a separate comment for each entry.
Make sure I have a way to contact YOU!
Winner will be announced at next week’s party!
Good Luck!

Now are YOU ready for a party???

Here are the {top five} links from last week!

Scrabble Tile Necklaces from Yesterday on Tuesday

Conversation Heart Paper Plate Baskets from Shaken Together

Foil Art from Art Club Blog

Thumbprint Valentines from Live.Laugh.Rowe

Gallery Wall Kid Art from Creatively Living

I’ll be featuring some
more of my favorites on Thursday at
{take a look at you}.
So check back then to see if it was
YOU who made me say WOW! ;)

{Now on to the party!}

The “rules” are simple.

Follow Ginger Snap Crafts. {Thank you!}

Grab a button or add a link somewhere on your blog.

Must be something made by YOU.

Link up to your post, not your main blog.

{No etsy shops, giveaways or business links, please.}

Visit other links, make new friends & most of all have fun!

Feel free to grab my {wow me} wednesday button!

FYI: Links are in random order…so each link will have a chance at the top spot. :)

{Can’t wait to see what YOU link up!}

tutorial {family est. block} & my contributor debut :)

2012-02-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

Good morning! :)

Soooo how’s your Valentine’s been so far???
Fantastic, I hope!

Today is an exciting day here at Ginger Snap Crafts.
I told you all recently that I am the
new craft contributor over on Lil’ Luna!
(Yes, little ole’ me! Who would of thought?)
Kristyn was one of the first bloggers
I “met” when I started my blog almost 1 year ago.
(Can you believe it??? My blog is almost ONE! Crazy!)
Kristyn has always been super friendly & encouraging.
Plus I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her stuff. She’s amazing!
So it’s really an honor to be a part of her team!

So please pop over there today & check out my new post.
FYI: You can see some glimpses of my new project in this post… :)
So keep reading & see if you can guess what it is. :)

Today I’d love to show you how to make this family est. block.

Annnnnd of course, by now you know my style…

Yep, you guessed it…. this project is super cute & easy!

I used my Silhouette to cut my vinyl using

the CK Chemistry font for the Our Family.

To make the dotted line I just used ……..periods……

in the CK Chemistry font (size 72 pt).

The year est. is done in the Hula Skirt Girl font
.
You can find links to download both of these fonts here.

(If you don’t have a vinyl cutter…you can order the vinyl from my etsy shop, here.)

To make these all you’ll need is a 2x4 cut into a 7 inch block.
Lightly sand it. Then paint your block. Let it dry. Then apply your vinyl.
(For more detailed vinyl application instructions click here.)

Remember to see what this block is sitting on (suspense…suspense….)
you’ll have to pop over to Lil’ Luna & check it out. :)

Annnd if you are a Lil’ Luna reader visiting for the first time,
I am sooooooooooooooo glad you are here.
Welcome to Ginger Snap Crafts.
Hope you’ll follow along!

Annnd since I haven’t done this in awhile,
the first three readers to comment on this post will get a
family est. vinyl piece sent to them for FREE.
Please make sure I have a way to contact you!

Hope you have a great Valentine’s Day!
:)

take a look at you {valentine’s day}

2012-02-13T14:00:00.000-06:00

Valentine’s Day is ToMorRow!!!
Are YOU ready???

Here are some last minute Valentine’s features
to get you in the mood for love. ;)

Starched Yarn Hearts from Grow Creative

Heart Clothesline Art from Artsy Fartsy Mama

Candy Cane Heart Suckers from Chick n’ Coop

Cute Printable from Dukes & Duchesses

Valentine Heart Lollipops from Pint Sized Baker

Family {Love} Mailboxes from The Terpblog

Key to My Heart {free printable} from the Craft Crazy Mom

Burlap Heart Pillow from A Crafty House

Valentine’s Love Bird Party from Events That Sparkle

Valentine Brownie Bites from A Pumpkin and a Princess

Thanks so much for sharing, ladies.

If you were featured feel free to grab a featured button!

Lorax Valentines {free download}

2012-02-11T15:45:00.001-06:00

Have you heard that DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX
will be in theaters on MARCH 2, 2012!!!????
Yay! Love Dr. Seuss….our family can’t wait to see The Lorax.

So just in time for Valentines here are some
Lorax Valentines you can download for FREE.

{Download your Lorax Valentines here}

Here’s some more information & links about Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax:

Website: http://www.theloraxmovie.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theloraxmovie

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/theloraxmovie

Twitter: http://twitter.com/thelorax

Genre: 3D-CG feature

Cast: Danny DeVito, Zac Efron, Ed Helms, Taylor Swift, Rob Riggle and Betty White

Directed by: Chris Renaud

Co-Director: Kyle Balda

Written by: Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio

Produced by: Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy

Executive Producers: Audrey Geisel, Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio

From the creators of Despicable Me and the imagination of Dr. Seuss comes the 3D-CG feature Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, an adaptation of the classic tale of a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope. The animated adventure follows the journey of a 12-year-old as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.

Danny DeVito will lend his vocal talents to the iconic title character of the Lorax, while Ed Helms will voice the enigmatic Once-ler. Also bringing their talents to the film are global superstars Zac Efron as Ted, the idealistic youth who searches for the Lorax, and Taylor Swift as Audrey, the girl of Ted’s dreams. Rob Riggle will play financial king O’Hare, and beloved actress Betty White will portray Ted’s wise Grammy Norma.

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is the third feature created by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me, Hop). www.theloraxmovie.com

Hope you enjoy! :)

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. :)

tutorial {last minute valentine’s ideas}

2012-02-10T23:39:00.000-06:00

I told you earlier this week that I was in charge of our Relief Society Craft Night.
(You can see what we made here.) They turned out so cute!
Buuut I forgot my camera…so no pictures of everyone’s cute blocks…bummer. :(

I was also asked to share some fun things you can do as a family for Valentine’s Day.

Here’s a few of the ideas I shared. :)

Idea #1

Simple Valentine’s Banner

You could make this with 14 hearts leading up to Valentine’s Day
or just do 7 the week of Valentine’s…whatever fits your family best.
On each heart is a fun Heart Day activity….like doing something kind,
making cookies for your neighbors, saying I love you, writing a letter to grandma, etc.
To make this banner I just used foam hearts that you can find at Walmart,
some Valentine ribbon & mini clothes pins to attach my hearts. Easy, easy!

Idea #2 Erasable

“I love you because” frame

I bought this frame for half off at Hobby Lobby. Yay!
I put a piece of Valentine scrapbook paper inside the frame.
Then I cut “I love you because” in the elise font
& applied it right on the front of the glass.
(You can find the link to download the elise font here.)
You can then use a dry erase marker on the glass
over & over leaving sweet messages
for each other of why you love each other soooooo much.
Awwww! ;) Love this one!

Idea #3

Family Love Jar

I found this glass vase at Hobby Lobby. Added the vinyl letters to say “All I need is love”.
(I used My Own Topher font for this one. You can find the link to download it here.)
Then I cut strips of paper using red paper & Valentine scrapbook paper.
Each family members writes down what they love about each other.
On Valentine’s Day we read what everyone wrote. So sweet. :)

Soooooo do you have any fun family Valentine’s Day traditions?

fab friday {my favorite fonts}

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

It’s Friday! Already! Wow! :)
Are YOU ready for the weekend??
Can’t believe it’s already here.
It’s suppose to be FreEzInG here this weekend.
{It might snow on Monday!! Yay!!}
Perfect time to snuggle up,
sip some hot chocolate & watch movies.

Thought it would be fun to
share some of my
{favorite fonts}
with YOU!

FYI: You guys know I’m a little vinyl obsessed. ;)
I’ve used all of these fonts with my Silhouette.
These are my go-to fonts for all of my vinyl projects.
They are super easy to cut! Love that! :)

Fontmoochers

download here

High Tower Text

download here

Hula skirt girl

download here

Impervious

download here

My Own Topher

download here

Mr and mrs popsicle

download here

smiley monster

download here

century gothic

{came installed on my computer}

elise

download here

CK Chemistry

download here

What is your {favorite font} ????

take a look at you {be mine, valentine}

2012-02-09T14:25:00.001-06:00

Today is super duper awesome
I get to feature some of YOU not once but TWICE! Yay!
You can check out my first {take a look at you} feature post here.

Here’s a FEW more of my favorite
{be mine, valentine} post :)
from last week’s {wow me} wednesday party
& from the Valentine link party
I had going on over the weekend!
Thank you all so much for sharing!

Matchbook Valentine from My Sister’s Suitcase

Love Yarn Letters also from My Sister’s Suitcase

You Light Up My Life Valentine from Saleena Maria

Total Crush Valentine {free printable} from Sugar Bean Bakers

14 Days of Valentines from Revamp Homegoods

All You Need is Love Frame from Cobblestone and Ivy

Heart Pot Holder from Vixen Made

Chevron Valentine Frame for Pitter & Glink

Love Pillow from Greene Acres Hobby Farm

Cupcake Flags on the Cheap from Sew.Craft.Create

Thanks so much for sharing, ladies.

If you were featured feel free to grab a featured button!

Don’t forget to link up to this week’s
{wow me} wednesday party if you haven’t yet. :) {Link up here!}

take a look at you {my favorites}

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here’s a FEW of my favorites
from last week’s {wow me} wednesday party!

Craft Hutch Re-do from Lookie What I Did

Couch Slipcover from The Barefoot Blueberry

Thin Mint Cookie Truffles from Six Sister’s Stuff

Rain Gutter Book Shelf from Fairly Fabulous

Yellow Felt Flower Scarf from The Crafty Blog Stalker

Mini-book Tutorial from Michelle Lea Designs

Bathroom Organization from Sugar Bee Crafts

Bitty Ruffle Skirt from Destination: Craft

DIY Luggage Tags from Gingerbread Blog

Popcorn Cupcakes from Live.Laugh.Rowe

Mason Jar Storage Solution from The Cottage Market

Laundry Room Redo from Vintage Marigold

Chocolate Macarons {Football Style} from Something Swanky

M&M Cookie Dough Pretzel Cookies from The Sweet Spot

Thanks so much for sharing, ladies.

If you were featured feel free to grab a featured button!

Don’t forget to link up to this week’s party if you haven’t yet. :) {Link up here!}

{wow me} wednesday #37

2012-02-07T19:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to
{wow me} wednesday!

So glad YOU are here!

Guess what??!!! Last week we did it!!!! We hit

500 links!

Wow! Wow! Wow!
What an amazing milestone!
Thank YOU all so much for your support!
Annnd most of all thank you for sharing your
amazing talents each & every week!

Have you seen this around blogland?

It’s a new way to follow your favorite blogs that are
on wordpress, typepad & blogger or whatever platform they use.
You can find more information on the new Linky Follower tool here.
(GFC will be going away for all non-blogger blogs in March.)

I recently added this new followers tool to my sidebar.
I’ve been busily following my favorite blogs.
So if you have added this tool to your sidebar,
please let me know & I’ll swing by, show my support & follow you.

Now on to the party! :)

Here are the {top five} links from last week’s party!

Double Waterfall Braid from The Letter 4

CTR Towel Tutorial from Candy’s Coat Closet

DIY Printable Chart Tutorial from One Tough Mother

Use Ribbon to Stretch Your Jewelry Tutorial from 413 {Sparrow} Lane

Valentine Candy Ring from Mom on Timeout

I’ll be featuring some
more of my favorites on Thursday at
{take a look at you}.
So check back then to see if it was
YOU who made me say WOW! ;)

{Now on to the party!}

The “rules” are simple.

Follow Ginger Snap Crafts. {Thank you!}

Grab a button or add a link somewhere on your blog.

Must be something made by YOU.

Link up to your post, not your main blog.

{No etsy shops, giveaways or business links, please.}

Visit other links, make new friends & most of all have fun!

Feel free to grab my {wow me} wednesday button!

FYI: Links are in random order…so each link will have a chance at the top spot. :)

{Can’t wait to see what YOU link up!}

P.S. Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons
is starting a brand new link party this Friday.
Make sure you add them to your link party list! :)

take a look at you {valentine’s}

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite parts about blogging
is getting to feature some of YOU! Yay!
Thank you all for sharing your Valentine’s ideas!

Can I just say how much I LOVE all the

pink & red & love

that I’m seeing around blogland??

Check out these lovely features!

Valentine Mantel from Mom 4 Real

Shabby Key Décor from {Joy in the Jumble}

Chalkboard Heart Garland from Uncommon

Love Canvas from A Pumpkin & a Princess

Love Mantel from Pigskins & Pigtails

Chocolate Caramel Sandwich Cookies from Beurrista

Heart Shirt from Southern Lovely

You Had Me at Hello from Altered Artworks

Fabric Heart Wreath from The Crafty Polkadot

Sweater & Pool Noodle (Yes, you read that right!) :)
Heart Wreath from The Creative Imperative

Thanks so much for sharing, ladies.

If you were featured feel free to grab a featured button!

tutorial {valentine block} + valentine link party continued

2012-02-06T08:47:00.000-06:00

Didn’t I say I was done with Valentine’s??? ;)
Buuuut just one more cute & easy Valentine craft.
(& then I promise that’s it…… I think!! ) :)
I was asked to do the craft at our Relief Society activity this week.
Annnnnd thanks to Alison from Oopsey Daisy
it didn’t take me long to come up with something. (Thank you, Alison!)
Head over to her blog to download her free Valentine printable.
Then come back here & I’ll tell you how to make these adorable blocks.

You’ll need:
free printable from Alison
block of wood (5 inch x 7 inch)
paint/foam brush
mod podge or spray adhesive
white cardstock
Valentine scrapbook paper
paper cutter
ribbon & tulle

Paint your block of wood. Let it dry.
Then you’ll cut your scrapbook paper & printable
just smaller than your block of wood.
Use the spray adhesive (or mod podge) to stick the
scrapbook paper & printable to your block.

TIP: If you are using mod podge don’t go
over the top of your printable because the ink might smear!

Once you have your scrapbook & printable attached to your block get some ribbon and tulle.
I just tied the ribbon around the top, & then I tied a piece of tulle in the middle of the knot.

So cute!

Here’s the
{valentine’s link party}
we started on Friday.

Link up your Valentine crafts & projects….
I’ll be featuring some of YOU tomorrow morning!

tutorial {jazz up your science project} #gluenglitter

2012-02-03T22:30:00.000-06:00

Most of you know that I have 5 kiddos.
Sometimes I’m the the strict
do-your-chores kinda of mom,
but other times I can be pretty fun.
(I think so, anyways.) :)
My oldest son, Zach, has a thing
about creepy, crawly animals (ewwww!).
In my attempt to try & be fun mom
I let him get a leopard gecko
with his Christmas money! Yikes!
(Lizards seriously creep me out…so this was a big deal for me!)
So far, so good. (It hasn’t escaped yet. Whew!)
Annnnd another added benefit, he is using his
leopard gecko for a 4H animal science project. Yay!

Annnnd in another attempt to be a fun mom….
I let him use my vinyl cutter to
jazz up his science project display.
Pretty fancy, huh???

Before we started on this project my hubby
& I headed to Wal-mart to pick up some supplies.
We were on the hunt for an Elmer’s Tri-Fold Board & other supplies.
You can check out my shopping trip in my google+ story.
Annnnd yes, a trip to Wal-mart does count as a date. ;)

For this project you’ll need:
Elmer’s Tri-Fold Board
Elmer’s X-TREME School Glue Stick
colored cardstock
paper cutter
leopard gecko pictures & information
vinyl lettering

(We used A Truer Blue
& Courier New fonts for this project.)

Zach jazzed up his vinyl by adding spots
to his leopard gecko & to the word leopard
using a permanent marker on the yellow vinyl.
It looked really cool.

The next step was applying the vinyl lettering to the Elmer’s Tri-Fold Board.
The vinyl stuck really easy to the cardboard. It was really goes on nice & smooth.
(For more detailed instructions on how to apply vinyl lettering click here.)

Then we used the Elmer’s X-TREME School Glue Stick
to glue on the leopard gecko pictures & facts.
We used the ruler on our paper cutter to line up everything just right.

Here is Zach’s finished leopard gecko science project.
Pretty jazzy, don’t you think? ;)

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own.

my valentine round up {and a valentine link party}

2012-02-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Well, I am done with all of my Valentine’s craft projects. Yay!
This is actually the first year I’ve ever decorated for Valentine’s Day!
Shocking, I know! ;)

During college my hubby & I worked at a little gift shop.
I made gift baskets, balloon bouquets, painted popcorn tins, etc.
My hubby did the deliveries in a cute PINK van! :)
Valentine’s Day was the biggest day of the year for that little shop.
We would work hard the whole week leading up to Valentine’s Day
& then the day before Valentine’s Day we’d work
until 2 or 3 in the morning getting all the deliveries ready to go.
We’d come back at 6 am the next morning
& then work hard all.day.long. It was pure craziness!
Ever since then we have kind of taken it easy on Valentine’s. :)

Here’s one last look at all of my Valentine’s projects.
(Click on the picture & it will take you to the full tutorial.)

Now I want to see what YOU’ve been up to.
Link up your {Valentine’s Day projects} here.
Valentine links ONLY, please! :)
Other projects can be linked up here.
I’ll be featuring some of YOU in the next
week & a half leading up to Valentine’s Day.

take a look at you {my favorites}

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

It’s my favorite day of the week…
I get to feature some of YOU! Yay!

This week’s party is still going on so feel free
to link up {here} if you haven’t yet!

Thank you all so much for sharing each week!

Here’s a FEW of favorites
from last week’s
{wow me} wednesday party!

Valentine’s Day Ideas

Drop Cloth Valentines from Make It Give It

Valentine Printable from That’s What {Che} Said

Free Vintage Valentines from Yesterday on Tuesday

More Free Valentines from A Night Owl

Valentine Décor from Love of Homes

Heart Shaped Fruit Salad from Little Wonders’ Days

Adorable Sewing Projects

Rainbow Taggie from My Raina Sunshine

DIY Highchair Slipcover from Nalle’s House

Ruffled Skirt from Sew Fantastic

Yummy Cupcakes

Cookie Monster Cupcakes from Eat Cake for Dinner

Mini Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes from Sweet Cheeks Tasty Treats

Football Cupcakes from A Pumpkin and a Princess

Thanks so much for sharing, ladies.

If you were featured feel free to grab a featured button!

Don’t forget to link up to this week’s party if you haven’t yet. :) {Link up here!}

{wow me} wednesday #36

2012-01-31T19:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to
{wow me} wednesday!

So glad YOU are here!

A few things before we get this party started! ;)

Did you hear I’m the new Craft Contributor for Lil’ Luna!?!?
I’ll be posting a brand new craft over there every 2 months.
{You can meet all of the other brand new contributors here.}
I am so excited & feel really blessed to have this opportunity
to work with Kristyn & all of the other amazing contributors!
All the fun starts Monday, Feb. 6th….so stayed tuned for that!

Also, I know all of you ladies LOVE a good link party!
So I wanted to give you a heads up on a brand new monthly link party
co-hosted by Cherished Bliss & Johanson’s Journey.
It all starts Feb. 1st & features Pick Your Plum!!!
Click here for more details.

I’ll be linking up my XOXO Valentine tic tac toe game.
{Check out the tutorial here.}

Last week’s party was the.biggest.ever!
Yay! Lots of visiting going on, too!
So I hope you all are getting a little more traffic to your blogs.
Annnd hopefully making lots of new creative friends. :)

Here are the {top five} from last week!

Easiest Baby Blanket Ever from I Can’t Stop {Crafting}

Personalized Pendant from Oksana+Hobbies

DIY Giant Photo Canvas from Art is Beauty

Make Your Own Frosted Privacy Glass from Making it Feel Like Home

Craft Room Organization from Saving 4 Six

I’ll be featuring some
more of my favorites on Thursday at
{take a look at you}.
So check back then to see if it was
YOU who made me say WOW! ;)

{Now on to the party!}

The “rules” are simple.

Follow Ginger Snap Crafts. {Thank you!}

Grab a button or add a link somewhere on your blog.

Must be something made by YOU.

Link up to your post, not your main blog.

{No etsy shops, giveaways or business links, please.}

Visit other links, make new friends & most of all have fun!

Feel free to grab my {wow me} wednesday button!

FYI: Links are in random order…so each link will have a chance at the top spot. :)

{Can’t wait to see what YOU link up!}

tutorial {xoxo valentine tic tac toe}

2012-01-31T07:00:00.000-06:00

You know I’m always up for a good craft challenge, right??? ;)
And did you also know that I love, love, love Pick Your Plum??
(They are an affiliate sponsor of GSC by the way. Yay!)
{You can find PYP on pinterest, facebook & their website.}

Well, when I heard that my friend,
Ashley from Cherished Bliss was
hosting a Pick Your Plum monthly link party
I knew I haaaaaad to participate!
Annnd I was one of the lucky few that received a
surprise package in the mail from Ashley and Pick Your Plum!
My challenge was to make something crafty with it! So fun!

FYI: You can participate, too!
Starting TOMORROW (Feb 1st) you can link up any craft
that you’ve made using a Pick Your Plum product!!!!
Annnnd there will be a giveaway from no other than Pick Your Plum.
You can check out all the details here!

I was soooooo excited when my package arrived!
Inside my package were 20 bottle caps from Pick Your Plum.
Hmmmmmm…..what to make???
Then it came to me I’d make a
{Valentine} Tic Tac Toe board.
Ooohhhh…. a game full of X’s & O’s…..perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Get it??!!! XOXOXOXOXO :)

Supplies:

{from Pick Your Plum}

I used the 20 bottle caps that Ashley sent me.
I also had some metal sheets that I had bought from Pick Your Plum.
I had my husband cut them to 4 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch squares.

You’ll also need:

wood blocks (6 inches x 6 inches)
paint (I used red & pink for mine.)
Valentine scrapbook paper
mod podge/foam brush
1 inch circle punch
hot glue
vinyl X’s & O’s (I used the Comic Sans MS font.)
vinyl tic tac toe grid
adhesive squares
adhesive magnet strips

I cut a piece of scrapbook paper to fit my block.
Then I mod podged my scrapbook paper to my block of wood.
While the blocks dried I cut some 1 inch circles out
of my scrapbook paper with my 1 inch hole punch.

Then I got my circles & applied the vinyl X’s & O’s right onto the paper.
Then I got my bottle caps from Pick Your Plum & some adhesive squares.

I used the adhesive squares to attach my X’s & O’s to the inside of the bottle caps.
Then I put the clear circles that came with the bottle caps on top.
They are sticky on one side & stick right on top. Next you’ll need your magnetic strip.

I cut the magnet strip into smaller pieces
& then stuck them on the back of the bottle caps.
Applied my vinyl tic tac toe grid to my sheet metal.
Then I hot glued the metal to my block of wood.
Now it’s time to play a little {Valentine} tic tac toe!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Have you made anything fun with Pick Your Plum???

tutorial {you & me block}

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

I shared this last week over at How to Nest for Less,
but just in case you missed it here it is again. :)

Today I'd love to show you how to make

this cute {you & me} Valentine block.

You'll need:

mod podge

{never mind the spray adhesive in the picture!}

Valentine scrapbook paper

paper cutter

paint

ribbon

vinyl lettering

5X7 inch wood block (painted pink)

oval wood plaque (painted white)

(I found my plaque at Walmart for $1.00.)

First cut your scrapbook paper to fit your wood block.

Then mod podge your scrapbook paper onto your wood block. Let dry.

I used Elmer's glue to glue my oval wood plaque onto the wood block.

Then I applied my vinyl lettering.

(For more detailed vinyl lettering instructions you can click here.)

FYI: "You" was cut using Hiccups font,

the "&" was cut using High Tower Text font

and the "me" was cut using Monster Paparazzi font.

Then I tied a red ribbon around my block.

There you go! Super easy & cute!

Primary 2012 {round up}

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

I told you before that I was recently called as the Primary President.
Primary is the children’s organization at our Church.
We meet for 2 hours each Sunday.
We have class time, sharing time & singing time. :)

What I didn’t tell you was that we are a brand spanking new Primary. :)
In our Church we have congregations called wards.
Sometimes a ward gets too big, so it will be divided into 2 wards.
One Church building can hold 1, 2, 3 or more wards.
We stagger our meeting schedules so each ward
can have their own block of time they attend church.
(Confused, yet?? Keep reading…it’s gets a little more confusing!) :)
Some of the wards in our building were getting too big,
so they did some reorganization of the ward boundaries
& came up with 3 wards & one branch in our building.
(A branch just means that there is not enough people YET to make a ward!)
Our family was lucky enough to be assigned to the branch.
It has been fun & a little challenging…definitely a growing experience!

This all happened in December,
so it didn’t give us much time to get ready for the new year.
Each year in Primary we have a new theme to focus on.
For 2012 our theme is Choose the Right.

Here are some of the fun Primary helps
I’ve found around blogland.
(They have made my job a whole lot easier! Yay!)

CTR blocks
from Lil’ Luna
You can go here to download your free printable, too!
Thank you, Kristyn! :)

You’ll need:
5x7 inch block of wood
print out from Lil’ Luna (click here)
Elmer’s Spray Adhesive
black paint
ribbon

Here’s what you do! So easy! :)

Paint your block of wood. Cut out your CTR image. Spray the spray adhesive on the back.
Put it on your block of wood. Smooth it down. Tie a bow around the top. That’s it. :)

I’m making these CTR blocks for all of our Primary Teachers.
We just got fully staffed last week. Yay!
Having teachers is such a HUGE help!
Primary teachers are the best!!!

Primary Theme Printables
from Simply Fresh Design

We used these printables for our Primary Bulletin Board. Love!!
(Annnd that font is CK Chemistry in case you were wondering. My new fave!)
Go here to download your set from Simply Fresh Design..

Article of Faith Printables
from Simply Fresh Design

One of our goals this year is to
have the kids memorize the 13 Articles of Faith.
(The 13 Articles of Faith are 13 basic beliefs of our Church.)

I downloaded the 4x6 printables that had 2 Articles of Faith on one picture.
Got them developed at Walmart just like regular pictures. Yay! So easy!
Then I just cut them in half & laminated them. Then I put them on a key ring for each child.
We are practicing one Article of Faith a month. (Except for Jan. we did #1 & #2.)
Each month they will get a new card to add to their key ring.
At the end of year they’ll have a whole set. :)
You can download your Article of Faith cards from Simply Fresh Design here.

Article of Faith Bookmark Printable
from Little LDS Ideas.

We have a big key ring that holds all of the bookmarks.
Each time the kiddos pass off an Article of Faith they put a sticker on that number.
When they get them all passed off we will give them their bookmark to take home.
TIP: I color coded each class so it’s easier to find their bookmarks. :)
Visit Little LDS Ideas here.

Primary Helper Sticks

Oh…and if you didn’t see it… check out my Primary helper sticks tutorial.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!
See you back here on Monday. :)

take a look at you {my favorites}

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

It’s my favorite day of the week…
I get to feature some of YOU! Yay!

This week’s party is still going on
so feel free to link up {here} if you haven’t yet!

Thank you all so much for sharing each week!

Here’s a FEW of favorites
from last week’s {wow me} wednesday party!

Winter White Vignette from Space 46

Winter Pinecone Wreath from How to Nest for Less

Melted Snowman Cookies from Home Grown Beanes

Mom Command Center from A Mom Knows

Curtain Turned Shower Curtain from Sweet Sewn Stitches

Ottoman Slipcover from Days of Chalk and Chocolate

TV Cabinet Re-do from The Velvet Door

Junk Wall Art from Creatively Living

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies from Life is Sweets

Valentine Wreath from My Serendipity Home

Thanks so much for sharing, ladies.

If you were featured feel free to grab a featured button!

Don’t forget to link up to this week’s party if you haven’t yet. :) {Link up here!}

{wow me} wednesday #35

2012-01-24T19:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to
{wow me} wednesday!

So glad YOU are here!

Wow-zers!!! Last week we had 484 link ups!
Oh.my.goodness. that was a bunch!
Thank you all so much for sharing!!!
Loved browsing the links!!!
Looks like YOU did, too!

Sooooooooo here they are the
{top five} most viewed links
from last week’s {wow me} wednesday party!

Free Valentine Printables Round Up from Craftionary

Barbie Hair Fix from DIY Home Sweet Home
(Isn’t that awesome!!!!???)

Valentine Sprinkles & Resin Jewelry from Saved By Love Creations

Make Your Own Swiffer Sweeper from Natural Nester

Conversation Stones from Making It Feel Like Home

I’ll be featuring some
more of my favorites on Thursday at
{take a look at you}.
So check back then to see if it was
YOU who made me say WOW! ;)

{Now on to the party!}

The “rules” are simple.
Follow Ginger Snap Crafts. Thank you!
Have you subscribe to my RSS feed?
It’s a great way to keep up with GSC! :)
Grab a button or add a link to GSC somewhere on your blog.
Must be something made by YOU.
Link up to your post, not your main blog.
No etsy shops, giveaways or business links, please.
Visit other links, make new friends & most of all have fun!

Feel free to grab my {wow me} wednesday button!

FYI: Links are in random order…so each link will have a chance at the top spot. :)

{Can’t wait to see what YOU link up!}

tutorial {easy valentine framed art}

2012-01-24T08:23:00.001-06:00

So I’ve been working on my Valentine’s mantel over the past week or two.
(So far I’ve shown you my Valentine banner and my LOVE blocks.)
I was almost done but it just needed a little something.
Sooooo I decided to borrow these
cute pink frames from my daughters’ bedroom.
(I had to promised I’d give them back after Valentines Day!) :)

I added some scrapbook paper & a couple of vinyl hearts,
annnd ta-da I had some cute & easy Valentine Framed Art. :)

I cut the scrapbook paper to fit my frame,
and then I applied the vinyl heart
right onto my scrapbook paper.
When I put my frame back together
I just put the scrapbook paper on top of the glass.
That’s it! They were just what I needed, too. :) Yay!

I’ve got one more project to share
& then I’ll show you my completed Valentine’s mantel.
I hope you’ll LOVE it, too!

tutorial {diy canvas prints}

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday! Soooooo how was your weekend???
I hope it was great & that you got lots accomplished! :)

Today I’m over at How to Nest for Less
helping Erin out with her fun Valentine’s series.
You can check out my {you & me} block tutorial here.
She has lots more planned this week
so make sure you keep checking in! :)

Today I'd love to show you how to make you own
canvas prints for much cheaper than ordering them!

(I shared these over on Keeping it Simple a week or two ago
buuut just incase you missed it thought I’d share it over here, too!)

You'll need:

8x10 print of your favorite photo

paint & foam brushes

mod podge (matte)

8X10 canvas

(I bought mine at Hobby Lobby on sale for a couple of dollars.)

To make your canvas:

I painted the edges of my canvas first

& then I painted about a 1 inch border on the front of my canvas.

After your paint dries, apply a layer of mod podge on your canvas.

Then lay down your picture. I used a cloth to rub over the entire picture.

You don't want any bubbles & for your picture to be nice and flat.

Photo paper is thick, so getting it to lay flat was no problem for me. Yay!

Then I went over the top of my picture with another layer of mod podge.

That gave it a brush stroked look. Annnd don't worry...it dries clear. :)

Here are my finished canvas prints! Love them! So easy to do, too! Yay!