Happy Birthday to ME!

Aren't birthday's fun? I'm not so old that I dread them yet. My mom and dad sent me this beautiful flower cake. It smells great and it's calorie free. PERFECT!

But since giving is always better than receiving, I have a gift for you. Below are the instructions on how to create a simple 2-sided acrylic layout. I was scheduled to teach this class at Yellowbird Scrapbooking but the owner forgot to advertise the date it was offered (no kidding!) so I chose not to teach it. You can use any papers, trims, and rub-ons that you want. You could even adapt this to a regular layout if you want.

Class Description:

If you’ve ever been a little intimidated by acrylic, this is the class for you. This class is packed with techniques and products! There’s so much you can do with acrylic and we’ll start with inking, cutting, punching, and pasting it to make this 2-sided layout. We’ll also learn about inks, adhesives, paper tearing, and how to use the Xyron create-a-sticker tool and a Crop-a-Dile.

Techniques learned in Class:

· Inking on acrylic and paper

· Adding glitter to acrylic

· Applying rubons to paper, acrylic and photos

· Adhering onto acrylic

· Cutting acrylic

· Punching and setting eyelets on acrylic using a Crop-a-Dile

· Using the Xyron create-a-sticker tool

· Paper tearing

Supplies needed:

12" by 12" acrylic piece, Staz-On white ink, brown ink (any type), Crystal Stickles, Xyron Create-a-sticker, glue dots or ATG gun, Zip dry, scissors, pop dots, and a Crop-a-Dile, 2 eyelets, trim to hang it if you wish, shaped paper to trace, 1 piece of 2 sided patterned paper, Fancy Pants rub ons, 3 white paper flowers, pearls for the flower centers, brown cardstock, and 3 4" by 6" photos.

“Dreams” Side 1

1. With the protective film still on, trace a piece of shaped paper. Cut the acrylic into that shape.
2. Remove one side of the protective film.
3. Use Staz-On white ink to ink the edges of the Acrylic. You only need to do one side.
4. Tear a large piece of the purple/green paper leaving the purple flourishes along the botton.
5. Ink the edges brown.
6. Adhere this paper, purple side up, onto the acrylic using Zip dry, glue dots or an ATG gun. You will be able to see the green side through the second side.
7. Apply the large flourish rubon to the bottom left corner. The rubon will over lap onto both the paper and the acrylic.
8. Apply small brown flourish to the right side of the paper, vertically. This will border your photo mat.
9. Beneath the brown flourish, adhere 2 white flowers. If you want, apply purple Glimmer Mist to the white flowers to match them to the paper. We used the color “True Purple.” The center will be a pearl.
10. To the left of the flower above, apply the large purple flower rubon. On top of that, adhere a white flower and a pearl center.
11. Tear a piece of brown paper to mat your photo. Either a 4” by 6” or a 5” by 7” should fit. Adhere it onto the purple paper.

Side 2

1. Remove the second side’s protective film.
2. Tear more of the purple paper and ink the edges.
3. Adhere it onto the acrylic, making sure you see the green paper from the first side.
4. Adhere lace to the bottom of the green paper’s border.
5. Adhere a small piece of velvet ribbon over the lace onto the acrylic.
6. Adhere a 5” by 7” and a 4” by 6” photo.
7. Apply Rub on quote to purple paper above the 4” by 6” photo.
8. Adhere the 3 small white flowers.

Flip over your project to side 1

1. Apply Stickles to the edge of the acrylic making a dotted pattern. Remember that stickles takes a little while longer to dry on acrylic than on paper.
2. Accent the flourish of the purple paper, the flower/flourish rubon, and the word “Dreams” with Crystal Stickles.
3. Using a Crop-a-Dile, punch holes in the top of the Acrylic sheet. Set 2 silver eyelets. (Traditional eyelet tools will not work.)

4. String ribbon through the eyelets to make a hanger. Add other ribbon pieces to the large ribbon.

Also... Today marks the day until 6 months until Christmas!!! That sent me in a bit of a panic since I'm not done scrapbooking last Christmas. Here's a new layout:

Complete with hidden journaling. ;)
Thanks for checking in! I hope you try the acrylic layout!
Cheers!
Christy

12 Days of Christmas - Day 11

I think one of my favorite parts of being a parent at Christmas is playing Santa. This will be a fun and exciting night in many people's homes. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and want to leave you with a few ideas (from www.celebrations.com) to leave evidence that Santa was really there. Because, isn't the whole idea to get the kids to believe in the magic of Christmas?

And of course, don't forget to track Santa on the Norad site! So fun!

1. Of course, eat the Santa cookies. Leave plenty of crumbs!
2. Take a bite out of Rudolph's carrot.
3. Make Santa's boot prints with soot from the fireplace.
4. Make reindeer hoof prints on the driveway or pathway with dirt.
5. Leave a North Pole snowball in the freezer.
6. Leave special cookies or homemade fudge from Mrs. Claus, in place of the cookies that were left for Santa.
7. Tear off a piece of Santa's "Naughty or Nice List" with your child's name in the "Nice" column.
8. Drop an elf's business card on the floor with an appropriate toyshop job description.
9. Leave a personalized letter from Santa under the Christmas tree.
10. Drop a small pouch with lumps of coal by the fireplace. Attach a tag with a child's name on it. Don't put your child's name on it. Say, "Santa must have dropped this for another kid. I guess he does leave lumps of coal for the naughty ones!"

Merry Christmas! And don't forget the reason for the season.
Cheers!
Christy

12 Days of Christmas - Day 9

Easy Ornament
I know... your kids are out of school and they wake up and ask, "Mom, what are we doing today?" If you and your kids are crafters, or into scrapbooking, here's an easy and elegant ornament you and they can make. If you're a scrapbook supply "collector" like me, you probably have the supplies on hand to make this. It's a great ornament to mass produce too.

Here's what you'll need:
Acrylic shapes (chipboard would work ok too)
Stickles (the Platinum color looks fabulous!)
Crop-a-dile
Ribbon

Don't worry if you don't have acrylic in a Christmas shape. Your LSS may sell 12" by 12" acrylic sheets that are easily cutable. Apply one or many colors of Stickles glitter glue and let it dry. (A heat gun or hairdryer can speed this process if you're in a hurry.) Punch a hole in the ornament with your crop-a-dile or other heavy-duty punch. String a ribbon through for hanging. Ta....Da!
These make pretty tie-ons for gifts too. And how pretty would these be on a Valentine? Always thinking ahead.... Have fun!
Christy

12 Days of Christmas - Day 8

Cinnamon Rolls....yum!
If your house is anything like mine on Christmas morning, you will not want to think about making a big breakfast in between gift openings and toy assembly. You might miss something! But then again, I don't want to have the same old bowl of Cheerios on Christmas morning. I also am NOT running to the store AGAIN!!! The answer is planning ahead. ...and now you're thinking, "Sure, but I don't have time to make anything now either!" Relax... this will only take 5 minutes. I promise. We'll be "cheating" the semi-homemade way.

Here's what you need:
One loaf thawed bread dough
4 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup nuts or raisins
2 tsp cinnamon
Vanilla frosting

The directions for these Cinnamon Rolls are on the back of the Bridgeford frozen bread package or right here. First, start with a pound of white bread dough. You find this in the freezer section and its already pre-made. Earlier in the day, or the night before, thaw out a loaf. Make it up according to the directions and put it in the freezer. Christmas Eve morning move it to the fridge. By Christmas morning it should have thawed and risen. Then bake them according to the package. It also has frosting directions on it but please.... just do yourself a favor and buy some. Then enjoy your Christmas morning with one less thing to worry about. Oh, by athe way... these also make great gifts!
Cheers!
Christy

12 Days of Christmas - Day 7

What do you know... today's post involves a drink! And, boy, do I deserve one! Sorry for my delay in posting the days of Christmas. Technical difficulties. It turns out that a computer can actually stop functioning when memory is full of 20,000+ pictures. huh. But we're back in the game now and onto posting...
So, its the week of Christmas, and if you're lucky, you have a party to go to this week or next. With any party, you should bring a hostess gift. I usually opt for a bottle of wine because most of our friends are lushes like me. Today, I'll show you a creative way to wrap up your bottle which is actually 2 gifts in one. Its not too unique but it must be good because Martha copied this idea on her show last week. Nonetheless, I like to do it so here it is.
Supplies:
Wine
A New Kitchen Towel
Ribbon
A tag

Wrap the wine in the new kitchen towel.
Leave the bottom of the wine bottle on the edge of the towel. This helps the bottle stand stable. Wrap the ribbon around the neck of the bottle. Tie a tag on and you're done. Cute, simple, yet creative. Your hostess will love it!
Cheers,
Christy

12 Days of Christmas - Day 6

I have no idea what happened to my day yesterday. It was so busy! From the moment I got up I was running (literally) and doing, watching Christmas concerts, wrapping and shopping, baking and crafting.... whew! I'll show you what I was crafting later this week, after I've given the final project to my friends. Anyways... so I missed posting Day 6 of our 12 Days of Christmas so here it is... If your kids are on Christmas break now, here's a good craft to get them involved in. Its one of those projects that Grandma would just love!

What you need:
A basket
pine cones
Gold spray paint, or spray glitter
Ribbon
Miscellaneous Christmas Picks or decorations (they're 70% off at Michael's right now!)
Small string of white lightsFirst, send the kids outside to gather pine cones (or you can buy them at a craft store). A variety of sizes is best but my basket simply shows the competition of who could find the biggest pine cone. But seriously, smaller pine cones add more interest to the basket. Arrange the pine cones in the basket and weave the lights through and under them. Paint them with the glitter spraypaint. Really give them a good coating. After they're dry, add the Christmas picks and a bow onto the front of the basket and you're done. This should be fine for either indoors or outdoors.

Enjoy! I'll be back later to post Day 7. Depending on my day, it just may be another drink!
Christy

12 Days of Christmas - Day 5

Today is about quick and easy! Nothing is easier (or makes any teenager happier) than a gift card. But it's a little cheesy just to hand it to someone and say, "Ummm...Merry Christmas, or whatever." So even if you didn't put a lot of thought or time into the gift, we're going to make it look like you did by making a quick and easy gift card holder.

Here's what you'll need:

• one 12" by 12" two-sided piece of sturdy scrapbook paper
• one sheet of coordinating cardstock (for inside the pocket)
• 12" by 2" strip of scrap paper that coordinates (patterned or cardstock--your choice)
• 12" trim - the bolder the better. Here, I used maribou.
• Adhesive, preferably a strong dry adhesive
• ribbon scraps
• a stapler
• scissors or paper trimmer

Here's how you do it.
1. Fold a two-sided, 12 by 12 inch paper and leave about 2" showing.2. Cut 2 pieces from this, 4 1/2 inches wide. These 2 pieces will be your gift card pockets. The other 3" wide piece will be perfect for a cash gift.3. Glue the right and left edges of the pocket. Use a tough glue like glue lines, glue dots, ATG gun, etc... or you can stitch it with a sewing machine. But I didn't do that to this one--its all about quick and easy today.
4. Trim the top 1/4" of the pocket with a scalloped edge scissors.
5. Adhere white maribou (or the trim that goes best with your papers) to the top edge of the pocket. I used a hot glue gun to make this quick and easy. If you're using a wet adhesive, be careful not to glue your pocket shut!**If you're in a big hurry, stop here. Shove the gift card or cash in the pocket and run out the door. **
But if you have a little time to add an extra step, make a tag to hold the gift card. Here's how:
1. Begin by cutting 2 pieces of coordinating cardstock, to 5" by 3 1/2". If you want to make one for that smaller pocket, it should be 2/1/2 inches wide by 5" tall.
2. Round the 2 top corners.
3. Find 2 pieces of coordinating scrap paper measuring 3 1/2" by 2". ( We all have those scraps laying around, use them!)
4. Adhere the left and right edges AND the bottom too.
5. Staple a ribbon onto the top of the tag and put it in the pocket, leaving a little hanging out.

And... tada!That's all for today. I hope you're enjoying the holidays!
Christy

12 Days of Christmas - Day 4

I don't know about you but with only 8 days left before Christmas, the stress is sneaking up on me. I think its a perfect day...... for a cocktail!
If you're like me, you're buzzing around too fast that you don't have time to be lounging around and drinking all night. I usually only have time for one and I just need something to sip on as I walk by. A little something sweet to take the edge off the day.... Something strong, but tasty.... Sounds like a Martini to me! Yeah! Here are a some favorite Christmas Martini recipes complements of www.martinilovers.com

Candy Cane Martini Recipe

1 tablespoon (or so) crushed candy canes
1.5 ounces vanilla vodka
1.5 ounces vodka
1 miniature candy cane

Wet the rim of a martini glass. Place candy cane bits onto a saucer and dip martini glass rim into the crushed candy canes. Add vanilla vodka and vodka into a martini shaker over ice. Shake well. Strain martini into the candy cane rimmed martini glass. Garnish with the miniature candy cane.

Frosty The Snowman Martini Recipe

1 part vodka
1 part chocolate liquor
1 part Irish cream liquor
Splash of cream
1 Hershey's Kiss candy

Add chocolate liquor, Irish cream, and cream over ice into a martini shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with sugar. Garnish with the Hershey kiss.

Mistletoe Martini Recipe

2 oz vodka
1/2 oz. melon liquor
Splash of grenadine

Add vodka and melon liquor into a martini shaker. Strain into a martini glass. Add grenadine, and watch as it floats to the bottom to make a red and green martini. world! **And because I am a HUGE Rudolph fan, I had to include this one too. (Plus I already have Frangelica hazelnut liquor in the fridge)

Rudolph Martini Recipe
2 parts vodka
1 part hazelnut liquor
1 part rum
splash of cream
2 cinnamon sticks per martini
1 cherry per martini

Add vodka, hazelnut liquor and rum along with ice into a martini shaker. Shake. Strain contents into martini glass. Garnish martini with the 2 cinnamon sticks for Rudolph’s antlers and the cherry for his nose.

Yum!!! So, if you had to choose, I LOVE the Frosty the Snowman Martini. But... really... don't you just want to try them all?
Cheers! Christy

12 Days of Christmas - Day 3

Ok ladies, enough time in the kitchen. We'll be there enough next week. Lets make something fun! No matter how much I plan, I always forget a gift for someone. Here's a perfect gift for a teacher, neighbor, friend, babysitter, or that hard-to-buy for relative. Its not a super quick project but it IS easy and cheap. Its also easy to break into stages and work on for 10 minutes at a time. You can also customize it to what you have on hand. I'll try to give you all my sources along the way though.
Supplies:
Wooden frame from Michaels $1
Gold metallic acrylic paint $1
Vintage sheet music (or scrapbook paper that looks like it)
A Christmas card with a vintage looking picture (or you can download an image from Lunagirl)
A christmas stamp or rub-on
Ribbon
Silk flowers
Stickles or another glitter glue
Adhesives

First paint all the edges and back with the gold acrylic paint. Next trace the frame onto the sheet music, cut out the paper and adhere it onto the frame. I use a gel medium as an adhesive but something like modge podge or Yes paste will work too. Stamp the greeting onto the upper right corner. Use your trim or ribbon and adhere it along the bottom portion of the frame. I used hot glue to adhere mine. Cut out your image and adhere it onto the frame using popdots or a foam adhesive. Lastly, accent your Santa with Stickles or another glitter glue.

I like to think this frame idea is easy to alter and make your own. Send me a picture of your frame, I'd love to see what you do with yours.

Cheers,
Christy

12 Days of Christmas - Day 2

Here's a dessert that people will think you slaved over. But, it'll only take about 10 minutes prep time and about 35 minutes baking time. And now you'll use the rest of that large can of pureed pumpkin we used in yesterday's body scrub.

Pumpkin-Spice Cake
One box of Spice Cake mix
3 large eggs
The rest of the can of pumpkin (it'll be a little over a cup)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup of chocolate chips
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)

Mix it all together with a hand mixer and put it into a greased bundt pan. It'll be a little thicker than regular cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until you dip a toothpick in and it comes out clean. Take it out, let it cool on a cake plate.

For the frosting, heat a can of store-bought cream cheese frosting in a medium saucepan. Stirring constantly, heat it until it melts into a glaze. Here, you can add a Tablespoon of cinnamon if you want. Drizzle the frosting over the cake and let it ooze over the sides. Let it cool and that's it!

Enjoy! Come visit the blog tomorrow for day 3.

Cheers,
Christy

12 Days of Christmas - Day 1

What are the 12 Days of Christmas really? I know its more than a song but...I really don't know when or what the 12 days of Christmas are but it sounds fun, doesn't it? Who cares what the real version is, here's MY version. And it will be fun! As my gift to all my blog buddies, I'm going to share 12 of my favorite things with you for the 12 days before Christmas. Check back every day for a new recipe, gift idea, or craft.

Here's Day 1:

Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub
This is a dreamy, homemade body scrub made from common, edible ingredients from your kitchen. Go on, pamper yourself. There's enough here for you and a friend. Or double the batch and give some as gifts. Just a warning: make sure you rinse the shower when you're done. The oatmeal is a real pain to chip off when its dried.

2 pounds Brown Sugar
1/3 can of the large can of pureed pumpkin (we'll use the rest of the can in tomorrow's recipe)
2 teaspons vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil
1 Cup Oatmeal - more if you prefer a grittier texture

Simply mix it all up and divide it into containers for gift giving. I try to use plastic containers since a glass jar could get broken in the shower. While you are in the shower, in case you're wondering, yes, it is edible. But I probably wouldn't eat if after its been in there more than a day. It is perishable so it should be used within 10 days or so.

I hope you'll try this. Come back tomorrow and we'll use the rest of that can of pumpkin.
Cheers!
Christy

A little news....

I have 2 bits of happy news to share. I finally opened a shop on etsy.com. Click here if you want to view it: christyhoover.etsy.com

My obsession with creating stuff might as well make me some money, right? I only have a few things posted there for now. I'm just getting my feet wet to see how it goes before I list a whole lot of things (and incur listing fees.) I'm having a garage/craft sale on November 8th and whatever I don't sell there will be posted in the shop. If you're in San Diego and you want to come, email me and I'll send you the address.

On another note, Yellowbird Scrapbook Store is letting me teach a canvas class in November and December. I call it "A Christmas Carol" canvas. There's nothing Scroogey about this canvas, it just reminds me of a Victorian, Charles Dickens' Christmas. It's a big canvas too- 9" by 14". Its not a complicated class but once you learn the techniques, you'll be using your scrap supplies on a lot more than cards and pages. The best part is that the class is only $20! What a great gift! (But I wouldn't tell anyone if you wanted to keep it for yourself!)

Here's a photo:
It uses the new Wassail line from Basic Grey, vintage sheet music, Jenni Bolin papers, and so many embellishments that adds real dimension. Contact Yellowbird if you'd like to take the class. I'm looking forward to teaching such a fun thing!

Things like this make me want to just skip over Thanksgiving and go right to Christmas. But I wouldn't do that...probably... Anyways, first things first. We need to take down all the Halloween stuff. I'll post some fun pics about last night soon.

Thanks for checking in! Enjoy your weekend!